will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy And as if this had not been enough the heart of the blessed God was so infinitely taken with it Chap. 34 5 6. The Lord comes nearer to him descended in a Cloud and stood with him there and as if meerly to have spoken what he had before said to Moses namely That he should have mercy had not been enough at verse 6 He proclaimes it and makes it as his proper Name and most glorious Title The Lord The Lord God Mercifull and Gracious c. verse 7. forgiving iniquity c. As if forgiving iniquity were the great design of glory he had upon the world his heart most affected and taken up with it This is the first reason poor sinners should have their hearts most taken up about the pardon of sins because the heart of the infinite wise and blessed God is most taken up about it 2. The pardon of sin should so greatly take up the heart of a poor guilty sinner because Nothing is a a Blessing to a man till his sins are pardoned but All a curse The Scripture is well known that proves it among many Deut. 28.15 16. If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandments and his Statutes which I command thee this day that all those curses shall come upon thee overtake thee Cursed shall thou be in the City cursed shalt thou be in the field Cursed shall be thy basket thy Store Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body the fruit of thy Land the encrease of thy kin the flocks of thy sheep Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in cursed shall thou be when thou goest out the Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do c. Now that soul that doth not hearken to the voice of God according to the tenour of the New-Covenant to come unto Jesus Christ to have his sins pardoned to have the spirit given him to walk before God in all his wayes is in an unpardoned condition and so liable to all these curses now under the old Testament God did more usually come forth in visible stroakes of punishment upon outward mercies but under the New Testament his judgements specially upon such as are under the Gospell are more spirituall as blessings to his people run in a more spirituall way as in cursing them with hardnesse and blindnesse of heart having resisted the truth but yet though such outward curses are not so visibly and frequently executed though sometime they are yet unpardoned unconverted sinners enjoy not their outward good things as a blessing but they serve but to further their damnation if their hearts are not through infinite grace made soft and turn unto the Lord that they may be pardoned Now to have outward mercyes and be hardned in an impenitent estate under them is a farr greater curse then to have them smitten or imbittered from the Lord though with the heaviest hand This is the 2d Reason of the point Every thing is a curse while such to an unpardoned sinner therefore t is of the greatest weight to have his heart taken up about it 3. The person of an unpardoned sinner is hated of the Lord therefore the weight of it is very great Psal 5.5 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity All be they what they will high or low rich or poor God hates them and while they are workers of iniquity they are certainly unpardoned what they may be in the decree of God is nothing to that sinner in this condition while he is a worker of iniquity he hath no ground for any other apprehension of God unles he turn in unto him Now what a dreadfull thing is it to be hated of that great and righteous God a drop of whose wrath is able to scortch the soul with unspeakable torment yet such is the condition of a wretched unpardoned sinner therefore t is his great concernment to look to it c. 4. While a sinner is unpardoned he is under the law What that is I shall if God will further discover He stands bound over to the most exact fullfilling of it under the penalty of Hell bound to make God satisfaction to the utmost upon the least breach and being under transgression of it is under wrath and condemnation if he abide so without remedy There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but All condemnation to those that are out of Christ Jesus as all unpardoned sinners are therefore t is a condition above all others to be weighed and considered and not to be rested in one moment 5. Neither the Prayers nor Alms nor any other duty of an unpardoned sinner are at all accepted with the Lord. This wretched sinners will not admit of but think if they perform any duty to God he accepts of it and that indeed it makes an atonement for their sins Take that one eminent place in Esa 1.15 Though you make many prayers yet I will not hear you mark it you that think because you make or say as you style it many good prayers sure God hears you No saith God I will not hear why see verse 16. they were not washed from their sins therefore the Prophet calls them to come to the Lord that they might be pardoned verse 38. T is true when a poor sinner hath his heart smitten for sin and comes to the Lord upon the account of promises of grace and pardon through Jesus Christ with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord and so begs for pardon and all things that do accompany pardon and salvation then God hears his cryes at the very first breathing of his soul Lam. 3.56 but not till then doth God regard the multitude of his Prayers Alms Worship Keeping conscience to men therefore certainly if nothing be accepted with God till in a pardoned condition such an estate requires great and deep thoughts of heart of it 6. Upon all this it will follow That an unpardoned sinner will have no other word from the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming but Go you cursed Everlasting darknesse and wrath and woes and all misery must be his portion for ever If he dye in his sins Joh. 8.29 his soul must be eternally damned without all Remedy Live and dye unpardoned and be damned unpardoned When Jesus Christ shall be come neither he himself nor Saint nor Angel will or can speak one word for a soul that dyes unpardoned though the soul screek out for a drop of mercy it will be answered with nothing but the Ecchoes of the screekings of other desperate souls ready to be hurled with it into the same everlasting burnings no eye to pitty there though Ministers and Saints did warn invite weep mourn pity when on this side the grave yet at the
soul and so longest for such exercises as the joy and strength of thy heart Nothing lesse Thy own conscience being Judge but hear drowsily and negligently it may be despisingly revile the preacher speak evil of the word out of thy grosse ignorance and hatred to be reformed speak vainly carnally worldly with such as are like thy self Here 's guilt enough to send thee to a thousand Hells if God smite not thy heart for it and thou turn not unto him for pardon and a better heart to be given to thee Adde to all this an unthankfull and unholy use of Gods good Creatures it may be thou hast bin betrayed by the devil thy own ready heart to some secret sins which thou thinkest enough if thou canst hide from man not considering the judgment of God that hangs over thee But if not so yet a heart full of uncleannesse envy wrath malice which our Lord Jesus Christ in his opening the law in its spirituality Mat. 5.21.22 27 28. convinceth to be murder and adultery which it may be thou hast never considered of so thou hast not bin an actuall adulterer or murderer In a word There 's not a vain thought in thy heart the first rising of it but brings thee under the guilt of condemnation of the law and as thou art under the law as if a transgressour in thought word and deed of the whole Law This may seem strange to thee but see it proved James 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all But it hath bin proved that thou art guilty of the breach of every Commandement of God from thy youth up But see further sinner that some word of God or other may hit thee this law could not condemn thee wouldst thou have bin convinced of guilt and made in to grace by Jesus Christ but thou art under the guilt of Gospel Contempt Come sinner saith Jesus Christ and see what I can and will do for thee I le save thee from this condemning Law I le take away the curse I le remove all thy guilt blot out all the charge that is against thee I le put a righteousnesse upon thee I le bestow my spirit upon thee I le give thee a heart to love God and his law and in the inward man to delight to walk in it and then take thee to Heaven and fill thee with glory for ever All this Heaven of mercy and free grace thou hast sleighted and sinned against and brought thy self under greater condemnation than by the law And yet by the way Jesus Christ will do as much for thee still as I have spoken of and more though thou hast thus sinned against law and gospel if thou wilt come a poor undone guilty soul unto him which is that I aime at in thus pressing upon thee And were the sense of guilt indeed upon thy soul thou wouldst seriously hearken to me Therefore yet futher bear with me Take home this guilt to thy conscience And say Oh guilty guilty of all that hath bin this day charged from the righteous God upon me Oh may the Lord find thee out this day and lay-in the fresh sense of the guilt of sins even of such thou hast long since committed Do not justifie nor excuse thy self any longer for that 's the naturall way of thy heart as thou hast bin shewed Never did guilty prisoner at the barre find more shifts more subtle pleas then the proud and shamelesse heart of a sinner will do till God himself pronounce guilt in the conscience and then the guilt of one sin laid-in brings in the guilt of all other and they sometimes come in like waves and billowes upon thy soul oh let the sense of thy lying swearing profaning the Sabbath slighting the word refusing Jesus Christ out of thy secret hatred of holinesse reproaching the people of God because in their practise they condemne thee or thy being guilty of the blood of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 11.27 a crying sin indeed Oh let this any all seize upon thee and fly not from it but go and lye low before the great God in it judging charging condemning thy self and say God and his word hath found me out this day and I go home with an arrow of God in my conscience I am the man or woman that am found the guiltyest soul in the Congregation how to be delivered and saved from it that 's my businesse now Blessed be the advice and counsell now which formerly I despised of any good man that speakes in the name of the Lord unto me and will shew me There is yet hope for so wretched a Creature as I am Particularly these are the effects of the sense of the guilt of sin wrought by the holy Ghost upon the conscience of a poor soul in order to his salvation 1. Fear of wrath to come more or lesse possesseth the heart Can a man be guilty and not fear if truly sensible of it This was upon Adam after he had sinned and heard Gods voice which struck him with sense of guilt Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice and was afraid so when guilt came upon Belshazzar his thoughts troubled him Dan. 5.6 Felix trembled Acts 24.25 The Jaylour came trembling Acts 16.29 The fear of wrath the fear of a mis-carrying soul the fear of eternity seizeth upon the spirit of a poor creature and then t is an infinite weighty matter with a poor soul to be saved 2. Shame is another effect of guilt brought in upon the conscience so Adam likewise was ashamed and hid himself because he was naked Gen. 3. What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 So Ezek. 16. last That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done sayth the Lord See also Ezek. 43.10 11. Oh how is a sensibly guilty soul ashamed before God Angels men of such wayes and carriages in which he impudently before delighted himself and lyes down in his shame and confusion of face even covering his face before God and ashamed to look up unto him 3. The soul walkes up and down with a burthened spirit those creature-comforts delights contentments which before would still the spirit now will not sense of guilt eates out the heart of them the soul must now have something else than wind and vanity for so are Creatures become to such a poor soul It may be the deceitfull heart carryes a poor creature to this thing and that but finds no satisfaction there the burthen stills remaines the arrow that God hath shot sticks fast till Jesus Christ pluck it forth and heales all with his blood and spirit 4. Guilty souls make out for deliverance sue to heaven are enquiring how the law may be satisfied how guilt may be removed how atonement may be had how bondage taken off in a
truth of grace and puts it off as if not concerned in it this may well bespeak a false heart A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touchstone of the Word delivers up it self unto it yea is much with God to search him in point of a firm Work upon his Spirit as to any prevailing iniquity in his heart as David Psal 139. When he was before the Lord appealing to him and opening his heart to him speaks thus ver 1. Oh Lord thou hast searched me c. thou hast And yet ver 23 24. begs of God yet further to search him Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me into the way everlasting 3. False grace is discovered by its easie acting When you can easily believe easily repent easily be humble and so of all others Certainly 't is all naught There is great contradiction within and from the Tempter as to act grace begun in a soul yea a daily supply from Jesus Christ must be to act any grace livelily which the common pretending easie Believers are not sensible of It cannot be but every act of grace must find more or less resistance from flesh and bloud which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the soul 4. Such as are never humbled for the spirituall wickednesses of their hearts I call them so in opposition to the more gross and fleshly wickednesses now these are hypocrisie selfishness spiritual pride vain-glory unbelief many that have had trouble for some gross sins will withstand some gross corruptions through common grace never come to be abased for these depths of the heart which are more hardly discerned I may well enough call that soul as yet a Hypocrite that is never humbled for the Hypocrisie of his heart for selfishness and the rest 5. Common-grace measures the soul chiefly by Negatives what it is not rather then what really it is as the Pharisee Luke 18. I am not as other men are pleaseth himself rather in what he is not then what he is I am not thus and thus as abundance of debaucht persons are but whether he be called of God emptyed of his own righteousness sanctified in Christ Jesus and a new Creature in him he puts off the Examination of 6. Common grace doth at best respect a mans self in all it does and not the glory of God which it sees not let others be as wicked as they will it is not much to such a soul let every one look to himself such a soul doth not avoid sin as sin but onely for fear it should damn him whereas the proper nature of grace is to respect God his holinesse name and glory Thus have I laid down some plain discoveries of the pretended New-Creature that which I have styled a Legall New-Creature I shall now proceed a little further to make discovery of a more seeming Gospel New-Creature yet but seeming That which hath the nearest resemblance of the New-Creature is when from some common enlightnings of the Gospel of grace and some overly tastings of the good word the affections being something stirrd therewith there is some affection expressed to the Gospel and some outward reformation upon it and a profession above the common formall rate taken up joyned also with common gifts of praying or prophesying knowledge c. Now all this may make so great a blaze and flourish that it shall be hardly discerned by such a professour himself or others that are spirituall That all this may be 't is clear from severall Scriptures Heb. 6.4 5. where mention is made of inlightning tasting gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet such to fall away and never to renew themselves again and to be nigh unto cursing verse 8. And verse 9. Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation c. Implying that these things may be but do not alwayes accompany salvation So the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.20 speaks of such who had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet again entangled therein and overcome and their latter end worse then the beginning They shall escape many grosse pollutions and that through a kind of knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet be again overcome and return wholly to them So Math. 12.45 Our Lord Jesus speaks of the house swept and garnished the unclean Spirit cast out for a time some outward reformation a damp upon the lusts of the heart and knowledge and common gifts and yet the unclean spirit returning again Examples might be produced of such professours in the Gospell as that of Judas an eminent professour a forward follower of Christ suffered some persecution and gifted and yet proves a Reprobate Simon Magus baptized by Philip renounced his sorceries took upon him a forward profession of Christ accompanyed Philip and yet his heart not right in the sight of God Act. 8.13 21. It may be more then feared This age to the high scandall of Sinners and Saints hath produced many such that have bin much taken with the glorious grace of the Gospel their consciences something awakened for Heaven the affections stird have attained to flourishing gifts and yet returned to their first nothing turn'd blasphemers and professed Atheists And no doubt there is such a Majesty excellency sweetnesse in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that may for a time much affect a carnall heart and may be received with joy Mat. 13.20 The very History of Jesus Christ dying for sinners may much affect that he will freely save sinners the glory he hath provided for his own these and the like things may much take the affections for a time make a soul ashamed of grosse pollutions and yet no New-Creature all this while And of such as these it is that Christ doth Prophesie of Math. 25. who shall have Lamps Light and Profession go along with the wise Virgins wise and truly gracious professours not be discovered many of them till the Lords appearing and yet kept out of the Kingdome of Heaven Now of all others these have the most resemblance of a reall New-Creature and yet fall short and perish for ever I should prevent my self should I at large discover wherein such professours are short onely a word or two 1. Such souls are never emptyed of themselves and humble so come poor and nothing to Jesus Christ though hapdly they may be able to speak of it as many souls have a forme of Gospel-knowledge and can say we are nothing and yet never had the saving experience of it upon their own hearts 2. Such souls have no true brokenness of heart for sin they much slight it yea say many t is Legall brokennesse for sin is a low dispensation as they will style it without which in some measure no saving repentance which is as necessary to salvation as
Wilderness perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense Chap. 3.6 So saith that Word of Promise Chap. 4.6 His smell shall be as Lebanon And when Jesus Christ breathes in his Ordinances upon blessed Souls it is as a sweet and delightsome Perfume to them Fifthly There is a new feeling wrought as an effect of this new life which the Soul hath in Christ when a new Creature is in him The natural man is without feeling as a dead man is let never so great a weight lye on a dead man and he feels not but now take a Soul created into Christ and he feels a new Weight within him Heb. 12.1 Sin is not onely a burden as to the weight of guilt but every corruption even when the sense of guilt is removed by Jesus Christ is a Weight to the Soul under which the Soul cryes out mourns groans to be delivered Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Sin hangs like a dead body about him Vse If the Gospel-new-creature is a living new creature and doth exercise Spiritual Life and hath new spiritual senses Let this then be a word of Tryal to discover the state of your Souls Can you say I that was dead am alive I was once spiritually dead without feeling did neither see nor hear nor taste in a Spiritual way but now the Lord in rich grace hath opened my deaf Ear and my blind Eyes now I have heard the Lord himself speak to my soul now I have seen the Lord and my Heart is taken with him Now I savour the Word of Grace and the Ministration of the Gospel is a sweet savour in Christ to me the Name of Jesus Christ is as good Ointment to me Now I feel a body of sin and groan under it and press after the destroying and crucifying of it Souls If this be not your Experience you are dead you are without the Life of God and Christ in you Oh! go to God sinners as you have been exhorted and cry to him to open your ear to hear and your eye to see Be convinced that as yet your Ear hath been stopt as to hearing the Lord himself speak to you Oh say Woe is me that I am where the Lord useth to speak under the Ministration of his Gospel and yet he never spake to my Soul Doth the Lord love me and never speak to me Pity Lord Pity a poor deaf blind stupid unsavoury Wretch and breathe life into me And then wait for the Lord's Voice in his Word Now let the Spirit himself speak unto me and unveil my heart that I may see into the Mysteries of Jesus Christ and may savour them upon my poor Soul 2. Let living Souls in Christ exercise their Spiritual Senses keep the Ear open to and waiting for the Spirits Voice be prying into the mystery of God in Christ and all Gospel-Truths get a clearer sight of Jesus Christ till you shall be infinitely taken with him and love him for himself And keep the heart savoury and the precious scent of Gospel-grace upon your Spirits and labour so to feel the weight of the body of sin how it poyseth polluteth cloudeth the Soul that you may come to that frame to cry out to be delivered from it And let it be abundant matter of praise to the riches of grace that God hath given life and senses to your souls which he might have left under the death of sin to all Eternity 5. The next Discovery of our Gospel New-Creature is this namely He hath a new heart So Ezek. chap. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit which the Lord hath in Free-grace promised in the New-covenant Chap. 36.26 A new heart will I give you which I shall precisely consider and shew particularly wherein the heart is made new 1. The heart naturally in its old corrupt frame is a rebellious heart Jer. 5.23 This people have a rebellious heart the usual complaint of the Prophets Now when the Lord makes the heart new he begins to take away the rebellion of heart as it naturally opposeth the Word Power and Spirit of God and the heart is made obedient and plyable to the power of the Word the Spirit 's Teachings Isa 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured c. My people shall be willing in the day of my power Psal 110. The heart of it self is stubborn obstinate unwilling to stoop to the power of Truth to yield to Jesus Christ but when it is made new it becomes of an yieldable frame to the practical Obedience of Gospel-Truths 2. The heart as an effect of the former is naturally hard and impenitent Rom. 2.5 cannot mourn for sinne But When 't is made new God makes it soft Ezek. 36.27 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh which is a soft and tender heart whereby a Soul can pour out its complaints to God yea the heart will pour out it self like water to the Lord Lam. 2.19 The Heart receives impressions of truth as by its softness 't is more and more wrought to a new frame as in the hand of the Lord. 3. The Heart is naturally proud and makes the sinner self-conceited and well-opinioned of his own condition and will not suffer the sinner to abase himself to God and to take shame to himself But when a new Work of God's upon it the sinner humbles himself under the mighty hand of God bears his reproach before him and cryes out Oh! What shall I do for an humble heart Lord take away subdue Pride in a wretched creature Jam. 4.10 Now he becomes a poor self-emptyed creature undone helpless and to a full Christ he at last goes 4. The Heart is naturally hypocritical The hypocrite in heart heaps up wrath Job 36.13 Now when God makes the heart new then it begins to be sincere in some good measure for God before the poor deceived sinner thought he did all with a good heart that he did bear much upon that he did all with a good heart but when God shews him his heart by the Candle of his Word and Spirit then the poor Creature sees what a Hell of Hypocrisie was and is within him that he acted in all Duties as from himself so to himself and not uprightly unto God But when the Lord new frames the heart then the Soul is after new sincere holy aims for God in all it does is most abased for selfish and hypocritical mixtures and would account nothing well done but as God is designed in it and labours to walk in simplicity of heart and godly sincerity as of God and in the sight of God c. 2 Cor. 1.12 5. The old Heart is full of all uncleanness and impurity and cares not to be cleansed So saith Christ to the Jews Mat. 23.27 Within you are
full of dead mens bones rottenness and of all uncleanness But now when the new creature is forming up then the Heart is after purifying Purifie your hearts ye double-minded Jam. 4.8 Then what a blessedness would a pure heart be saith a poor Creature Oh! that my heart were cleansed Wash thine heart saith God Jer. 4.14 Oh! that it were washed saith the new creature And this is one of the most special Works a new Creature will be after as he is more formed up in Holiness to keep the Heart pure as a Temple for God 6. The Heart naturally is dead as already hinted and feels not its own deadness but when renewed then the heart doth live that seeks God Psal 22.26 It feels and mourns over its own deadness and cries out Quicken Oh quicken me oh God! No Duty is well performed then but as the Heart lives in some measure in that Duty Now it feels its own burdens pollutions lusts corruptions carnality earthiness and bewails it before the Lord. 7. The Heart is naturally divided between Christ and the World Christ and Lusts Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided But under its renewings the heart as to the main bent of it makes a whole close with Christ the great business of a soul then is to give the whole heart up to Christ and fears he can never do it fully and singly enough and when the heart lusteth after other things so far as it is renewed it is fetcht in again to Jesus Christ 8. The Heart of it self is unbelieving Take heed least there be in you a heart of unbelief Hebr. 3. Now when the heart is made new there is a Work of Faith with power 2 Thess 1.11 And then the soul is made sensible of that bitter Root of Unbelief that is naturally in their hearts and they finde it the hardest work in the world to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins to fix on Promises And that a believing heart is a special gift of God and a work of the Spirit which while a poor sinner was shut up under Unbelief he felt not Use 1. To unchanged persons who are the same in heart as ever they were Oh learn by what hath been opened what is the natural make and frame of them There is in you a Rebellious Heart against the Lord and wilfull obstinacy against his Word and Spirit and therefore 't is that you cast the Word of the Lord from you and in your hearts despise it and say This is not the Word of the Lord and we will not obey it You have hard and impenitent hearts and therefore you do not mourn for sin you have proud hearts and are well conceited of your condition though damnable and therefore you do not humble your selves to God you have hypocritiall hearts and see it not full of a Hell of Uncleanness dead in sin and without feeling the heart divided between Christ and the World unbelieving and yet say you have Faith If thou canst not make out a newness upon thy heart as we have shew'd thou hast still thine old heart with its Lusts and thy estate is as yet damnable let thy knowledge profession outward blamelessness be what it will 2. Oh therefore let this Word be yet for further tryal of your estate Can you say to the praise of free and rich grace that God hath in some measure taken away your Rebellious Heart from you and you can stoop and yield to the power of Truth and rejoyce in it that God hath made your heart soft in some measure and the pride of your hearts in the false conceit you had of your selves hath a stroak from God upon it that God hath shewed you your deep and cursed hypocrisie and how your heart was divided and was wholly unbelieving And that the Remnants of these wickednesses in you of heart-rebellion hardness pride hypocrisie pollution unbelief are your greatest burden and you mourn over them daily If this be not your Experience let that man or woman know he or she is a hypocrite and unbeliever and sees it not c. 3. Therefore let it convince you and exhort you to go and fall down before the Lord and beg him to open your hearts which naturally are shut up in darkness and to abase you in the sense of your Rebellion and that he would even do this for you in much mercy to take away a rebellious hard proud heart from you and would make your hearts pliable to the Word make them soft and humble before him and to close with the whole heart with Jesus Christ through a work of Faith upon you Do this in the fear of the Lord and through his grace coming upon you and see what God will do for you and you will be your own Wonders that ever such abominations should lye hid in your hearts yet you not be confounded in your selves in the sense of them 4. Let Souls that are through infinite grace under some heart-renewings know that they have never done with this Work till they come to glory yea Soul thou hast depths of rebellion price hypocrisie pollution unbelief which yet thou hast not reacht to and therefore as thou must ascribe all to Grace for what the Lord hath done upon thee and remembers to thy greater humbling how much a do the Lord had with thee to bring thy heart under so much as it is so to consider that the Candle of the Lord must more and more search thy dark and deep heart and 't is to be thy daily work or else all these evils will again much prevail upon thee Love therefore a searching Word from the Servants of Christ that are over you 6. The next Discovery of the Gospel New-Creature is this namely The Gospel New-Creature hath new affections Briefly to instance in some of the chief 1. The New-Creature hath new fear The fear of an Eternal Condition that first usually seizeth upon a convinced sinner the fear of a just and angry God against sin and at last upon its renewing a holy awful fear of God as great and holy and good a fear of sinning against him and that because he is gracious Naturally this affection of fear in a Carnal heart is conversant about the loss of outward things about shame in the World and the like and so far as it respects God his Soul 't is a slavish fear of breaking out of some grosser sins onely least God should damn him but not fearing the Lord with a gracious Son-like fear a fear that purifies the Heart a fear that is mixt with a blessed love of God and delight in his ways 2. The Heart is exercised with new sorrow A godly sorrowing for sin such sins which were once the delight of the Heart such a sorrowing that works an indignation against the Darling-sins a taking of a kind of Revenge of our selves for it a vehement desire after pleasing of God and Holiness 2 Cor. 7.11 There is a
THE GOSPEL Nevv-Creature WHEREIN The Work of the Spirit is opened in awakening the Soul to the getting pardon of Sin and an interest in JESUS CHRIST Without which it is undone to all Eternity DISCOVERING The false refuges and vain hopes for Heaven of ignorant and formal Professors in this Nation tending to rouze them out of their carnal Security before it be too late Whereunto is added By way of Comfort to all Dejected Soules The Tempestuous Soul calmed by JESUS CHRIST By A. PALMER Preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the Water in Gloucester-shire LONDON Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls Church yard 1658. THE GOSPEL Nevv-Creature WHEREIN The Work of the Spirit is opened in the Soul's saving awakening to the getting pardon of sin Conviction of sin Self-emptying Gospel Justification and creating into JESUS CHRIST Discovering The false refuges and hopes for Heaven of ignorant carnal formal professors in this Nation and the counterfit Legal New-Creature so called Preacht more at large in Publick from several Scriptures and now published for the good of others In much plainness to the capacity of the Countrey People By A. Palmer Preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the water in Glocester-shire Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work c. London Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls Church yard 1658. To the Reader THat which drew these Papers from me will be Argument enough for me against the censure of what weaknesses are mixt in this Poor piece Which I must needs so call as it comes from my self but dare not undervalue what of the least of the Spirit of God appears in it every drop and tast of which is of an infinite price where ever it appear Some years since the Lord for so through grace I find the issue put upon my heart to send forth a little token of soul-experience to my friends stiled The tempestuous Soul calmed c. Which I found God made a blessing to some poor souls so can the Lord make use of weak things and I have been called upon and sent to by strangers for Books but had none of them The Stationer also sending me word that he desired to reprint it and that I would make some addition to it if I thought meet These importunities were as the voice of the Lord to me and being then preaching upon the subjects I have here added which were but as an enlargement to the other in the former part but carryed further in the opening the New-Creature It came upon my heart that I could not give out as I humbly apprehended what might be more generally useful in these dayes for the Country-people among whom chiefly my poor labours are laid out wherein they may as in a glasse particularly and plainly see if God open their eyes the woful mistakes and heart-delusions in the great business of Heaven the most it may well be feared lye under fit to be mourned over with tears of blood had we Preachers hearts to do it 2. Add to this the infinite obligation that lies upon me I must say above any soul upon the face of the earth from my dear Lord Jesus to do for him with all my might to leave no way unattempted wherein I might witness to his blessed Name and the wayes of his Grace and help-on poor sinners to him who have had my hands so deep in the blood of my Lord over whom I would mourn and in the blood of the souls of sinners when I helpt on to my everlasting abasement be it spoken and the magnifying of grace their hardening in sin and condemnation in the daies of my high rebellion against the long-suffering of my God 3. I have many dear Relations and Kindred with others to whom I am known specially in this County of Glocester where I have found mercy in my labours and an effectual door opened with other my Fellow-labourers in Christ in whose hearts I have room which I would wonder at and something this way from my self would be acceptable happily rather then that which is more worthy from a stranger which considerations do much secure me against censure Upon which account I give it up to the Lord in the simplicity of my soul and beg a gracious blessing upon it to every soul into whose hands it may come Specially My friends after the flesh to whom I have not frequent opportunity to speak otherwise whose souls are upon my heart to mourn for I beseech you and charge you in the bowels of Christ Jesus that you will never rest in your spirits till through infinite mercy and blessing upon your diligence you shall find what is here written to be your own gracious experience upon your souls Oh! do not dare to rest in a general notion of mercy in a blind hope-well a sober and righteous through reformed conversation or in a mere taking up to a better obedience no nor in mere notions of free-grace and of Jesus Christ but get as convinced of sin so emptyed of your selves and all your own righteousness to come as nothing else but sinners to Jesus Christ for all to be justified in his righteousness and rooted into him and so become New Creatures in him and in him have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Which things are the main scope of this Piece directed chiefly to you The same things I would say to you who were the hearers of these discourses as preach'd unto you Such of you who yet stand off from the fellowship of the Gospel Oh! may this word take you in a serious reading whom it hath not in the preaching of it Baffle not Oh do not with your own Convictions Consciences any longer Oh! may you yet break off from your snares lying-hopes offences self-righteousnesses heartless formalities and wait for the Spirit of the Lord Jesus in the ministration of the Gospel yet the hand of the Lord is stretched forth unto you Oh! be not any longer a disobedient and a gain-saying people God and Angels and your own Consciences will witnesse how oft the Lord Jesus Christ hath called by me and you have not answered To you who have before the Lord and one another professed obedience to the call of Christ and subjection to his Gospel I will say no more but this that I hope you never expect to look the Lord Jesus in the face at the day of his appearing but as you are justified only in his righteousness rooted in him and are new Creatures in him That I may be your rejoycing and you mine in that day Study exactly the evidences of the New-Creature and through grace walk after them which I would also presse upon such of the Professors of godliness who may peruse this plain Piece specially the Churches of Christ I have special Communion with in these parts Let not young Converts rest only in having lively affections but get distinctly bottom'd upon the saving mystery of the Gospel
great Judgment it will not be so No nothing but upbraidings of Devils for neglecting Gospel-grace and refusing the termes of pardon and for grosse security This will be the portion of every unpardoned sinner that neglects the day of his salvation Therefore the pardon of sins requires the deepest thoughts of heart and can never be made too sure to a poor sinfull Creature Use 1. If the pardon of sin be of so great and infinite weight how doth this meet with the wretched deplorable carelesnesse of a world of souls in this day that think of nothing lesse then whether their sins are pardoned that will hear of nothing that may call this great matter into question or way awaken them to it Oh how many poor souls I fear too many of you though so often and earnestly prest to it that were never before the Lord mourning after the pardon of your sins What a leight matter would it be to be pardoned if there should be no more in it not care about it then most sinners that call themselves Christians make about it Ah sinners why do you make no more ado no more matter of it why so sensless of that which is alone worthy all the thoughts of thy heart if thou shouldst live a million of years to dispatch this one thing to get thy sins all pardoned You that are Elderly people have a large reckoning specially upon your account of sinning against Gospell-light and grace make haste what you do do quickly lay hold on eternall life the sun is ready to let upon you and wo with you as ever you were men and women if you fail of a good and sure dispatch of this one corcernable thing your sins being pardoned And you that are younger take heed lest the day of grace set upon you and you be given up to your own hearts lusts and no word that is spoken from God or man shall ever reach you Oh tremble at tryfling with convictions and light but begin to honour the Lord Jesus and bow unto him and wait for the promised effusion of his spirit and the joy of the Lord shall be the joy of your youth and the love of the Lord will be very sweet and precious to you 2d Exhort Oh then let every soul of us be deeply affected with this weighty matter let your souls say within you Oh the dreadfulnesse of an unpardoned condition what tongue can expresse it to have all my store little or much house corn cattle all under a curse and enjoy it as a curse and onely to further my eternall damnation to be hated of the great God and not loved to be under all the condemnation of the Law where ever I read of wrath and wo it belongs to me to have not one of my prayers or any thing else accepted of the Lord to be in a condition of expecting nothing from Jesus Christ at his coming but go ye cursed when I shall see so many blessed souls that took paines for Heaven enter into the Kingdome and my self shut out Wo is me if I speak peace to my soul in such an estate one moment more Awake my soul Awake Away in to the blessed God for mercy pardon grace Christ his blood spirit holinesse eternall life I will go the Lord helping me and cry in the bitternesse of my soul for them all and if 't were possible to weary the Lord with the cryes of my poor soul I will do it till he have mercy upon me and bid me go in peace The gracious God shall as hardly deny me as ever he did any poor sinner that lay bleeding at his feet for mercy and grace from heaven to heale a poor condemned soul Oh what have I been doing in the world all this while get a little something and my sins unpardoned in daily danger of dying in them and so be lost without all remedy for ever Oh! such will be the great thoughts of heart about the pardon of sins when the Lord shall speak to a poor sinner and the Conscience shall be thoroughly awake about it Oh! let me yet in the name of the Lord argue out this matter with thee Be serious for once and ponder it in thy heart what is health or wealth what is it to have something about thee in the world lay up yearly thou go deeper in debt with the just God every day What if all the world be at Peace with thee and God thy enemy and hate thee as thou hast been shewed What if all the world say of thee Blessed if God and his holy Word of truth pronounce thee Cursed because thy sins lye upon thy soul and the Spirit of grace is not upon thee Ah! poor Creature Do not do not let thy sins lye upon thy precious soul any longer do not be contented to be a child of Gods wrath any longer Oh! do not thou poor carelesse soul if there be a spark of pity in thee Do not as the Devil flatters rest in this and say I hope better and I hope 't is better with me and I hope I am or shall be pardoned and so fall asleep till thou drop into hell You that think it an easie common matter to be pardoned know not what it is you have yet no part in this blessednesse Saith a poor convinced soul 1. 'T is a great matter that any sinner in the world is pardoned much more such a one as I if ever I attain to it 2. Souls that get pardon do make it their greatest care to be assured of it they do not leave the matter at sixes and sevens and put it off with bidding the heart hope well but they labour after a Gospel assurance of it 3. Such souls will labour to see that nothing be wanting that must accompany pardon of sin and a state of salvation Heb. 6.9 4. They try all their pretences to pardon and grace over and over and will take nothing upon trust from their hearts or the Devils flatteries or the flatteries of carnal Ministers but search and prove and lay their hearts under the Word and Spirit till it be sealed by the Holy Ghost and that they are wrought of God for this self same thing and that he hath given them the Earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 Well therefore say in thy heart in good earnest Oh! it hath not been so with me I have been carelesse I thought well of my self I nere questioned this weighty matter to purpose Oh! the Lord give me grace to take pains in the use of means to be violent for Heaven Oh! I will not rest Oh! let me not till I am assured indeed that my my sins are done away and Christ is mine Go and say and do it and the God of all grace and might be with thee in it But yet further to presse the weight of this matter upon thy Conscience that thou mayest go off thoroughly convinced and resolved to pursue effectually the compassing of this so
great a blessing of getting thy soul in a pardoned estate Do but weigh with me the matchless blessedness of such a condition and me-thinks thy heart should not but be taken with it 1. Consider Pardoned souls become the dear Children of God see Eph. 1.5 c. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins c. The glorious grace of Adoption comes in upon the forgivenesse of sins therefore Chap. 5.1 the Apostle further hints this so blessed a priviledge Be ye followers of God as dear Children and Gal. 4.5 the Apostle gives it out as the great and blessed fruit of Redemption that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Oh! to be translated from being amongst the children of wrath to be numbred among the dear Children of God to come under the protection care tender love of God as a Father What soul would not be restlesse till he attain unto it 2. Pardoned souls have access to God Eph. 2.18.3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the blessedness of pardoned souls they have free accesse to God as a Child to a Father to speak and plead to the Lord As soon as ever they come before the Lord they are admitted into his presence and God's eye and ear is towards them and they must have their errand either in kind or as good or a better thing given to them This is another inestimable good of blessed pardoned souls 3. As they are Gods dear Children and have free access to him so when once he hath freely and fully pardoned them he loves them with an infinite unmixt unchangeable Love Behold what manner of love is this c. 1 John 3.1 The Lord can as freely let out love full love to his pardoned ones as if they had never sinned because he never looks upon them out of Christ when God takes a poor sinner to himself he doth not barely and meerly pardon him and save him from wrath and no more as earthly Princes pardon many whom they love not but God sets his Love upon them and it can never enter into his heart to hate them He that loveth me saith Christ shall be loved of my Father Joh. 14.21 And if God afflict them 't is to make them better more like unto himself to bestow more grace upon them Heb. 12.10 and Gods Love to his blessed children is like himself Infinite unmixt everlasting This is another infinite blessing of pardoned souls to be thus loved by their God 4. Pardoned souls are brought into a justified state from which they shall never fall Thus runs the tenour of the New Covenant the bottome of all this blessedness I will remember their sins no more Heb. 8.12 No more Words of a sweet and blessed sound to whom they are spoken by the Holy Ghost that when poor souls that have come to Jesus Christ in a Gospel way for pardon and have pleaded and taken hold of promises of grace for that end and yet sometimes unbelief is stirring Oh! will not God one time or other call back to remembrance all my former iniquities and charge them upon me No saith the Lord it shall never enter into my heart I will remember them No More Blessed words and blest condition indeed Ah! who would be without it 5. Pardoned souls shall be kept in the hand of the Lord in all their wayes 1 Pet. 1.5 His Love Fear Lawes Power Spirit shall be in their hearts that they shall not fall from him Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me He preserveth the souls of his Saints He keepeth the feet of his Saints Psal 97.10 1 Sam. 2.9 yea he will keep them from evil and nothing shall befall them but for their good Rom. 8.28 And if they fall the Lord humbles them heals them takes them up again puts new strength into them and his kindness must not depart from them 6. Pardoned souls are Gods Heirs Gal. 4.7 Rom. 8.15 c. Heirs of God through Christ and joynt-heirs with Christ Heirs of all his Promises of an incorruptible inheritance that never fadeth away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.9 Though the Lord give them no inheritance of earthly possessions yet they are his special Heirs of the heavenly inheritance Not the poorest believer in the world but may say with a heart full of blessed and humble rejoycing Though I am worthless in my self and am so accounted in the world yet through infinite grace I am one of the richest Heirs in the world a Co-heir with Christ of an exceeding eternal weight of glory Use 1. If such and more then is or can be named be the blessedness of pardoned souls Ah! what poor secure sinner that must also be everlastingly damned without it would miss of it Say sinner instead of being cursed hated damned and that for ever for ever for as is mercy and love to pardoned ones so is wrath to such as miss of it for ever I say instead of that which any heart but what is plagued with hardness would melt and tremble at to become a dear child of God and have free access to God be loved of God for ever justified no sin for ever remembred against thee every thing befall thee for good and be an Heir of God and be even as blessed as God can make thee and that for ever Ah! where 's the sinner that would be without this Who would sleight that word of the Lord that would teach you and lead you to this blessedness Who would despise or neglect the day of grace now while within the reach of it Who would run a dreadful hazzard of being given up of God if you thus trifle with a Gospel of salvation Ah! the good Lord pity you that do thus you are fit to be mourned over had we hearts to do it with tears of blood Yet once more Awake awake you careless ones before bodies drop into the grave and souls into hell Oh! do not do not take pleasure in soul-murder do not put off the one only main necessary work and leave it undone till it may be impossible to have it done Tell me in good earnest Canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins here and for ever Soul thou mayst well enough be without much Land and much mony and many great friends and yet be well exceeding well contented nay better if thou hast Christ and grace then
with them But say canst thou canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins Canst thou well live and dye hated by the great and righteous God Canst thou well be where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dyes Say canst thou well miss the presence of the ever blessed God to all eternity Are damned screeking Spirits good company for ever and ever Away away sinner to the blessed God betake thy self put it not off an hour longer to crying repenting mourning to God for free pardon for Christ for the Spirit and look up to the Lord to give thee a heart to do it wait humbly and carefully on the Gospel of grace preached and yet though thou hast hitherto been idle thou mayest attain to this blessedness as well as the blessedst Saint in the world if thou wilt be serious diligent earnest as so weighty a matter requires about it The good Lord give thee a heart to do it 2 Do not rest in false evidences false hopes of pardon Many sinners might seem to have got pardon and gone well to Heaven if they had not vainly and foolishly hoped so Oh rest in nothing and never rest without it as I have pressed thee in love till thou canst say from a well grounded Gospel-evidence wrought forth with fear and trembling Now I have the blessedness that accompanies pardoned souls Now oh now rejoyce with me blessed souls I am I am a child of God I have access to the blessed God and my soul pleads with him every day Ah now God my God doth love me Now I am justified in a state of justification from which my God will never let me fall Ah my sins though great shall be remembred no more no more I shall be kept safely kept in all my waies If I fall the Lord will take me up and I shall not utterly fall however it is or may be with me as to the world and the things of it I am rich though poor worthless nothing in my self with all the riches unsearchable riches of my Christ I am an Heir of God I need nothing Oh the sweetness peace joy contentment Heaven of such a blest for ever blest condition Now tell me sinner and let it stick with thee till thou art got well to Heaven is not is not the pardon of thy sins the work of the greatest weight before thee on this side the grave which is that I first promised thee to prove to thy Conscience from the first Observation 3. I might from hence insist to stir up poor souls who have been awake for Heaven and have been and are crying and waiting for the pardon of your sins to be in this matter with all your might because you see 't is wonderfully weighty and concernable to you beyond all imaginations get your doubts and fears and misgivings of heart well removed see from whence your doubts do arise and follow them home to your hearts and then be with the Lord much and in his Word and Ordinances till the Lord make it clear day in thy soul and thou walk in a sweet spirit of Adoption before him 4. Let pardoned ones whom it hath cost much as to means to get it made good to you make much of your comfort and do not Triflle it nor sin it away and keep the sense of a pardoned condition warm and lively upon your spirits and then you will love the Lord much Luke 7.47 Lord thou hast forgiven much as much as to any Oh let me let me love love much very much Conviction of sin and self-emptiness THe second Consideration we observed from the words and proposed to be opened was this Obs 2. Such who come to God to have their sins pardoned they look upon them as great sins Pardon my iniquity for it is great c. The Original word as well signifies Many as Great my sins are great and many Many great sins lye upon me pardon Oh pardon them oh Lord c. Thus you have this blessed man David in several Psalms aggravating his sin Psa 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head and are a burden too heavy for me to bear against thee only have I sinned Psa 51. So blessed Paul Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief That sin by the Commandement might become exceeding sinful Rom. 7.13 So Peter at the first glimpse of Christ and a word from him falls upon his knees cryes out Depart from me for I am a sinful man c. Luke 5.8 So the Publican God be merciful to me a sinner a great vile sinner nothing else but a sinner So the Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight c. Luke 18.13 ct 15.21 In the opening of this Point first I would shew Why such as come in a right way for pardon do look upon their sins as great sins 2. How they come to see them so 3. When a sinner may be said to have seen his sins so great as a pardoned soul should do First Sinners that come to God for pardon and find it do look upon their sins as great sins because against a great God great in power great in justice great in holiness I am a worm and yet sin and that boldly against a God so great for a worm to lift up himself against a great and infinite God Oh this makes every little sin great and calls for great vengeance from so great a God 2. Because they have sinned against great patience despising the goodness forbearance and long-suffering of God which is call'd treasuring up of wrath Rom. 2.4 5. Oh saith a poor abased sinner at Gods feet How have I wearied the patience of God I have not wearied thee saith God but thou hast been weary of me and hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities Esay 43.23 24. Oh this is an humbling and heart-breaking word to a poor soul before the Lord this makes his sin appear great indeed I have wearied the blessed God with my sin and yet he calls upon me that he may pardon me ver 25. of the same Chapter This greatens sin to purpose to a poor soul that hath abused much patience 3. Sins do appear great because against great mercies Oh against how many mercies and kindnesses do sinners sin against and turn all the mercies of God into sin Oh saith a poor soul drawing near to God I turned all the mercies of the Lord against him took his mercies and fought against him with them and served the Devil and my lusts with them If God will come and account with me for them how shall I answer him 4. That which greatens sin in the eyes of poor sinners that cry for pardon is that they have sinned against great light light in the Conscience this heightens sin exceedingly specially to such as are under Gospel-means and is indeed the sin of all in this Nation there 's nothing more abaseth
a soul then this nothing makes it more difficult to believe pardon when humbled for it therefore 't is that many poor souls fear they have sin'd the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost because they have sinned against knowledge and light which though while they are humbled before the Lord it cannot be that they have so sinned unpardonably yet in as much as 't is the sin that borders next upon the sin against the Holy Ghost it much greatens sin to a poor soul under the sense of it Such a sinner is said to reproach the Lord Numb 15.30 31. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin James 4. last To him it is sin that is great sin of which God will take the severest account Therefore such as have the profession of Christianity and the knowledge of the Word in some measure and yet go on unpenitently in sin they are the greatest sinners in the world will have the greatest damnation And this circumstance in sin makes or should do so such souls that never lived in notorious sins be under deep abasement because though their sins were not so gross as many others yet they were against great light and knowledge which makes every little sin continued in great in the account of God and great in the account of the sinner when he comes before the Lord in the sense of it Oh I pleased my self in sins that I knew to be sins and was convinced by the word of God of them yet I went on and loved them 5. Continuance in sin much greatens sin to a poor soul that is after pardon specially such as are not very early converted God will wound the hairy scalp of such a one that goeth on still in his trespasses Psal 68.21 Oh I added sin unto sin saith a poor soul spending the choise time of my youth in sin when I might have been getting the knowledge of Jesus Christ and honouring of God This lay close upon David's spirit as appears in this 25th Psa 7. Oh remember not the sins of my youth c. Yet we do not find that Davids youth was notoriously sinful but in as much as he spent not his youth to get knowledge and to serve the Lord fully 't was his burden and complaint before the Lord much more such whose youth was spent in nothing but vanity prophaness lying swearing prophaning of the Sabbath sports pastimes excess of riot and the like when God layes it in upon their consciences must be grievous and abominable to their souls 6. Multitudes of sins do make sin appear great this made David cry out for multitude of mercies Psa 51. and Psa 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me One sin but a sinfull thought is worthy of a thousand hells much more multiplyed numberless infinite sins in thought words walkings calling worship in all I have done I did nothing else but sin therefore the least sinner in the world is a great sinner when God lays his account before him 7. Another thing that greatens sin is that it was against purposes and resolutions of forsaking such and such sins and yet all broken sometimes against solemn vowes against prayers this consideration upon many a poor soul sticks hard and layes low and makes his sin grievous indeed that against purposes vowes prayers he should return to his sin this makes him cry out Oh my sin is great great indeed Doth will the Lord pardon such a wretch c. 8. Sin appears great when seen by a poor soul because it was reigning sin Rom. 5. 6. Sin reigned to death c. Oh saith a poor humbled sinner I did not only commit sin but I was the servant and slave of sin I obey'd sin as a lord and that willingly I obey'd it in the lusts thereof where God Christ his Spirit Word Law should have dwelt and reigned there sin and lusts bore sway and had the command of my soul A little sin when a reigning sin is a great sin All that sin can do is but to rule the sinner and so it doth the least sinner that is under it though it break not forth into grosse notorious actings against the Lord and this doth much greaten it 9. Sin in the fountain makes it great As it may be said there is more water in the fountain then in the pools and streams it makes because there is a continual issuing and flowing out of it which is able to make far greater streams so sin in the nature in the heart is there as in the fountain and therefore 't is more there than in the breakings forth of it in the outward man so that though a sinner in his youth hath been restrained from many great sins yet in as much as sin in the fountain was as full as in any sinner in the world though restrained pent in which the sinner was not beholding to his own heart for it renders him a great sinner before the Lord when savingly enlightned The want of this consideration makes outwardly righteous persons not look upon themselves as great sinners they see and feel not sin infinite in the fountain of it which mostly greatens it above all the actings of it in life 10. A sinner drawing nigh to God for pardon sees his sin as great because thereby he was led captive by the Devil at his will He that committeth sin is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 comitteth sin so as in a state of sin under the power of sin and not born of God why such a one is of the Devil under the power of the Devil of the Devil and not of God and this because of sin which gives this dominion to the Devil Oh saith a poor Creature I that was the creature of God and should have lived to him lived to the Devil and the service of him and took part with him against Christ his Word his Saints and was an enemy to them this greatens my sin before the Lord. 11. Sin appears great because great is the wrath of God against sin sinners are said to heap up wrath Rom. 2. and they are called the Children of wrath God to manifest his displeasure against sin is fain to powre out everlasting wrath upon an unpardoned sinner to leave the sinner under endless torment of soul and body God hates nothing but sin and for sin and so hates it that infinite endless wrath must be the vengeance of it Oh when God gives a sinner a glimpse of this Oh the greatness of every little sin to deserve such wrath How shall I flee from and escape the wrath to come who can stand before such wrath who can bear it 12. The way of any sinner's deliverance from such wrath shews sin to be exceeding great in the price and ransome
Remember the same Paul that thought himself a blamelesse man Philip. 3.6 afterwards cryes out of exceeding sinfulnesse Rom. 7.13 yea the greatest the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 But I hope to meet with thee and with thy conscience as to this conviction more hereafter The next inquiry will be when a poor soul may be said to be under such a discovery of the greatnes of sin as may lead him to get pardon through Jesus Christ 1. One discovery I have named already which is such a soul doth not go about to lessen his sin but greaten it to his greater abasement t is his fear he doth not see his sin great enough to lay him low enough before the Lord. 2. When such a sight and discovery of sin it begets trouble upon the spirit In Psal 38. you have David under a great discovery of sin and he cryes out there is no rest in my bones because of my sin I am troubled I am bowed down I go mourning all the day such a trouble that will not admit of peace and healing but from Jesus Christ till it can take hold of Jesus Christ in a promise of grace and pardon and come to him and close with him to be justified and Sanctified by him and in him as I am at large to shew if God will I speak this because there is a trouble for sin that often ends in a more dangerous peace many poor creatures have for a time bin troubled for sin and they have made one shift or other to quiet themselves it may be leave their sins and do a little something more but never come in a Gospel way to Christ which I am also through grace to evidence in the discovery of a false conversion However so it is that every soul that is unbottomed from a false peace a peace in sin or his duties he comes under trouble more or lesse in and for his sin as he gets to pardon 3. God smites a soul for some speciall particular sin Jer. 3.13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes under every green tree c. Generall acknowledgment of sins comes to nothing 't is the the note of a Hypocrite but particular sins lying upon the soul speak forth spirituall convictions when joyned I mean with other workings of heart we are now setting forth 4. As God smites so the sinner is in particular confession before the Lord loads his heart with sin till it breaks Object But who will not confesse himself a sinner you will say Answ Truly few in a Scripture saving sense A word or two more to this That confession of sin before the Lord is a duty and such as hath the promise of forgivenesse of sin the issue of all we are driving at such places of Scripture will clear Psal 32. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins 1 John 1.9 This being a duty to which so blessed promises are annexed 't is of much concernment to souls that are very serious about forgivenesse to have it stated aright according to Scripture and saving Experience There is a confession of sin that doth not entitle to the promise which a hypocrite may reach to so Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked here 's confession but no pardon so Judas Math. 27.3 4. I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood so Saul 1 Sam. 15.29 I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord Here are verball inforced confessions when the hand of God was upon them and yet did not end in mercy The confession of a Hypocrite proceeds only from judgment felt or feared but that which is sincere and ends in mercy pardon goes upon better grounds 1. As first Confession that hath the promise of pardon is accompanied with hatred of sin So in that blessed draught of the new Covenant Ezek. 36. I will save you from your uncleannesses c. verse 29. and verse 31. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Then when God comes in a way of mercy and pardon then God will make them remember their wickednesses that they had even forgotten and had thought that God had forgotten them also they thought they were good ways before but now the Lord shews them they were not good and they loath themselves sin is not onely a terrour but a loathsome thing to them hateful to the soul that is under this conviction 2. Whence secondly Saving confession respects the pollution of sin They shall loath themselves c. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee In that 38. Psal David is in self-loathing this doth arise as presently I shall shew from a glimpse of Gods holiness which I humbly conceive ☞ No reprobate in the world doth reach to to loath sin because it makes him an unholy Creature 3. It followes therefore that such confession drives sin to the root to the fountain there sees it most abominable odious infinite So David Psal 51.5 I was shapen in iniquity c. A Hypocrites confession ends in outward grosse sins from terrour onely and reacheth not to heart-sin pollution of nature and if he can reach to reforme such outward grosse sins he hath done as he thinks the utmost but never comes to loath and so to mortifie through the spirit sin at the root but sincere souls touched by the holy Ghost with a saving sense of sin do drive sin home to its originall to its root in the universall corruption of heart and nature and there the severest edge and indignation against it is let forth 4. Brokeness of heart for sin is an effect of such confession Psal 51 17. Isa 61.1 57 15. And this ariseth upon sense of Gods patience goodness love As hatred of the pollution of sin ariseth from a sight of Gods holines Pharaoh cryes out he had sinned when he smarted with punishment but was still under the plague of his hard heart Exod. 9.27 34. There is indeed a kind of brokennesse that the hammerings of terrour by punishments or by the word may worke which may a little wear and rough-hew the heart and yet go no further but yet leave the heart under its naturall hardnesse but now that which is the spirits saving work kindly melts the heart makes it soft and so it can powre out it self to
God as a thing melted in heart-melting confessions at least the poor soul mourns over the hardnesse of its heart oh that I have thus sinned and yet my heart will not break blessed be every stroak and every word of God and every Ordinance that though grace breaks my heart more A sincere soul sets a high price upon brokennesse and yet rests not in it c. 5. Such confession that hath the promise is accompanied with soul-abasement He that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luke 18.14 spoken upon the Publicans acceptance with God in his confession under brokenesse smiting upon his breast and deep abasement not lifting up his eyes to heaven So that great promise 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from Heaven will forgive their sins This a work of the narrowest search of any other I intend if the Lord will to speak to this more distinctly and fully in another discourse Only now a word of such a humiliation as is joyned with such confession that hath the promise of pardon which is the scope we drive at 1. When the soul is in confession and under the Lords humblings in order to pardon The poor Creature acknowledgeth himself infinitely unworthy that ever the Lord should cast a look upon him or give out mercy and pardon to him This conclusion is fixed upon the soul and the soul falls down abased in the sence of it what ever the Lord do with me I will lay my mouth in the dust I am worthy of nothing from the Lord but a thousand Hells this quiets the heart in some measure what ever the pleasure of the Lord be towards him 2. As the poor sinfull Creature is worthy of nothing so he will give glory to God if God never pardon God is never the lesse righteous or holy wise or good if he never let out one drop of mercy upon so vile a Creature yet he is a God blessed for ever Thou art holy saith David Psal 22.3 But I am a worme and no man verse 6. A worm sit for God and man to tread upon and yet must not rise up against God nor say to him what dost thou no Man I have un-man'd my self with sin I am dust and vanity it self vile dust that 's my make my frame oh I must give glory to his justice though I perish for ever 3. The poor Creature hath no good no not the least to procure pardon or to move God to pardon Psal 14.3 Saith a poor humbled soul treating for pardon if mercy and pardon must come forth upon termes of my good having or doing any thing but what hath infinitely sin enough in it to damn me for ever assuredly to Hell I must No sin enough to send a world of souls to Hell but not a drop of good to move the Lord to mercy If God give our mercy upon a sight of good I exspect not a drop from him 4. It followes from hence when a sinner comes humbled he comes as nothing else but a sinner Luke 18.13 God be mercifull to me a sinner one that 's nothing else but a wretched sinner for so the Publican means it as in a contrary frame to the Pharisee who thanks God that he was not so bad as many were though the Pharisee no doubt would acknowledge some sin but now the Publican is All a sinner in as bad a condition as any sinner in the world ☞ Here 's a touchstone poor souls in these dayes they hope they have not so much need of Christ as many great sinners they be not nothing else but sinners they have or do some good The discussion of this will be the next discourse only now a word more Know sinner that one sin strikes off all thy pretended good as shall at large through mercy be proved to thee stick to one drop of good in thee or from thee when thou comest for mercy and pardon and thou losest all oh to be wholly condemned wholly unrighteous wholly a sinner is a great work t is the most distinguishing conviction of any other While a man hath any thing to live upon he is not fit to beg so while a soul hath a drop of any thing that in his own sense may the more admit him to pardon he cannot have it Take it thus If one came to your doors and beg and he hath good Cloaths on his back and he should say I have good Cloaths on my back I have something of my own therefore I pray Give me would you not answer if you have something of your own are pretty well cloathed why should you beg t is not for you to come and ask almes But if a poor naked wretch come and say cry oh I am a poor creature a poor naked destitute creature I have nothing all 's gone I have lost all pray cover me pray feed me out of great pity you will look upon such a poor wretch and do something for him if you have any bowels So if a sinner as that Pharisee did come and say Lord I have done this and this I have not been so wicked as many I do some good therefore pardon that therefore will make the Lord send thee away without mercy no saith God live upon what thou hast if thou hast any thing Oh sinner thou art not fit to beg to beg mercy and pardon till thou hast just nothing of thy own which the naturall pride of thy heart will very hardly come off to 5. In the way of mens tribunalls of Justice and Courts of life and death If a Malefactor be condemned by the Law and he yet plead Though I am proved a thief or a murderer yet I have kept the rest of the Law I have broken no Law of the Nation that deserves death beside shall not this rather justify me then this crime condemn me No saith the Judge That 's nothing to us though thou hast kept the Law in other things thou must dye by the Law as a trangressour of it for this thou hast done why then saith the condemned person I must plead all mercy Just so it is at the tribunal of God comes a poor soul that is convinced he hath sinn'd oh but saith he in his heart I have kept the Law in many or most things will not that commend me to God will not God look upon my good more then my evil No saith God in his word thou hast broken the Law and thou art cursed therefore the Law can shew thee no mercy I can take no notice of any of thy pretended keeping of it in any other thing oh then must a poor sinner say then it must be all all of mercy if I am ever pardoned this may be enough to discover such a humiliation that follows confession that hath the promise of pardon and doth also further evidence the main point which is to set forth
keeping of the law is made void by one sin and so see an absolute necessity of righteousnesse another way and out of themselves by Iesus Christ though it be preacht by many good men yet few very few in this Generation live in the practicall sense and sight of it yea how many professours not hereby to reproach any have confessed to the Glory of God and their own abasement that since the breaking forth of a fuller light of the nature of the New-Covenant Gospel-grace the righteousnesse of Christ they have bin shaken in their bottomes being legall and thought if they took up from their sins and had a kind of sorrow for them and then set themselves to obey the law strictly be close in the sabbath and some such duties that God would accept them being still ignorant as least practically that when they were convinced of sin they were to see where to have a righteousnesse and how to get into Christ and have life and strength in and from him for their new obedience which is that I drive at in this and my afterwards discourse in opening the New-Creature as in Christ Having premised this I come to speak to the first promise laid down namely Observ 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their naturall estate are under the Law By the Law I do not mean the Mosaicall or old Testament way of worship but by the law I understand that which we style the morall law the law of the 10 Commandements that was written in Adams heart and afterwards given out by God unto Moses at Mount Sinai and promised in the New Covenant to be written again in the hearts of all that are really called into the grace of the Covenant Ezek. 36.27 To be under the Law is an expression familiar to you you know what it is to live under a law To be under this law of God then bespeakes these things 1. To be under it is to be bound over to the exact fulfilling it see Rom. 10.15 For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them that is it to be bound over to the fulfilling and doing of the law which if done exactly without the least deviation there is life promised to it But upon the least transgression of it to be lyable to the penalty which God hath pronounced against the transgressors of it 2. It followes thence that to be under the Law is to be bound over to the whole Law in its full and perfect latitude as it reacheth the whole man Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Mark well the tenour of these words Here is required of Every one an exact doing not onely purposing and thinking to do and that not onely of some or the most of the law but in all things and that not onely for a time but a Continuance of doing so or else under the curse One sinfull thought hath a curse belonging to it as well as the breach of the whole law if under the law Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law 1 John 3.4 3. To be under the law is to be subject to and to be under all the curses threatenings judgments wrath that it threatneth to the transgressours of it here and for ever Whatsoever the law saith in point also of judgment and wrath it saith to all that are under it 4. To be under it is to be bound to make God satisfaction in our own persons for the breach of it I mean while under it every soul is so obliged to make satisfaction to the justice of God If a poor soul be in his naturall estate and so under the law he must stand or fall to the law God expects personall satisfaction from every soul that sinneth against it that will stand to his keeping the law in whole or in part and God in his justice can bate nothing of what he hath spoken Now That all men and women are by nature as of and in the first Adam thus under the law to wit to be bound up to it and to have life onely upon the exact and perfect fulfilling of it to be bound up to the whole law subject to the curse of it upon the transgression of one part bound to make God satisfaction in his own person for any breach thereof I briefly prove Saith Paul Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the law but under grace Implying till a soul is brought under grace the Covenant of grace justifying sanctifying grace in and by Jesus Christ he is under the law whoever he be so Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the law c. implying also that all mankind are naturally under it till under the power and efficacy and priviledge of Christs Redemption The main reasons of it are All are under this law because all mankind were bound up under the same Covenant with Adam who was a publick person representing all mankind as a man may bind up himself and his posterity to such and such conditions and such a Covenant decree or obligation binds his posterity in Law so was Adam bound up to God see Rom. 5.12 the speciall Scriptures that prove this truth Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned so verse 16.17 18 19. by one that sinned c. by one mans offence death reigned by one by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Implying clearly that the guilt of Adam as representing all his posterity was and is imputed to all and therefore all were and are bound over to the same Law bottomed upon that word of the Lord to Adam by which God put the Covenant upon him Gen. 2.17 For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Adam had the law of holinesse and righteousnesse the morall law written in his heart before and his nature perfect which bound him over to obey every command of his God now God gave out that external law unto him by way of tryal in which the form of the Covenant was implyed but sinning against that he transgressed the morall law written in his heart also which bound him over to obey God in all things so that the sin of Adam was at least virtually a transgression of the morall law now abiding and obliging mankind which law we all brake in him as it was given to all in him and being written in Adams heart it was as much as if it had bin actually written in the hearts of all mankind which doth also appear by the remnants of the law as that there is a God and man should be just yet remaining in the hearts of all Therefore by nature we are all bound up to and are under this law 2. It doth appear that
may and doth leave a sinner without all excuse for sinning against him this the Apostle argues as to this very purpose Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and god-head so that they are without excuse c. The creatures could not say we will make our selves thus and thus and subsist in such an order and harmony therefore there was one first Infinite being who made all things and by the same power doth uphold them to which first Being all the creatures must owe their homage and conformity Now though such a glimmering of light can never suffice to lead a soul to the true worshipping of God as the Apostle there argues yet it leaves the creature without excuse which is that I am proving from it 6. All the Children of men do sin presumtuously willfully and obstinately against the Law of God mans sin being not so much from his weaknesse to obey the law though weak he is but from the rebellion of his will against God and his law As it is in the case of disobeying the call of the Gospel also Now whatsoever a man doth presumptuously willfully it leaves him without all excuse And this is it that is charged upon the Children of men by the holy Ghost in the word that their sin was obstinate rebellion against the great God From all these the truth of the assertion doth appear that every transgressour of the law is without all excuse before God 7. As the creature hath no excuse for his sin so it followes he hath no pretence against the righteous judgment of God we are sure the judgment of God is according to truth Rom. 2.2 and Chap. 3.4 That thou mayst be justified in thy sayings and clear when thou art judged that is what ever any sinner may dispute to the contrary God is righteous when he judgeth If the Law be just and holy and good once written in his heart and had a power to have kept it that God hath given out this law again to him the remnants of it in his heart so much to be known of God in the creatures and that he sins presumptuously and wilfully against God and so blessed a law made for his own good certainly must every sinner conclude The Lord is righteous when he judgeth and every mouth must be stopped Use 1. If it be so that no sinner in the world hath any justifiable excuse for his sin then let this truth come in into your consciences and strike off all vain pretences and wretched excuses when you have sinned against the Lord which usually are such as these when sinners break forth into this or that rebellious way they cry Oh t is my nature my naturall disposition and then they think that excuseth or allayeth the matter whereas it aggravates for we ourselves corrupted our natures Saith another I have bin so accustomed to such a way to drink to excesse sometimes to swear to use the Lords name vainly and as a by-word whereas the custome of sinning is the greatest and most grievious aggravation of it Saith another 't is my company that drawes me or the example of others or 't is my temptation when they are under the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Or that they do keep the law as well as they can and think this will excuse whereas nothing no plea that ever a sinfull deceitfull heart put up or that the Devil suggests can before God excuse any sinner in the world rich or poor knowing or ignorant from the exact and perfect keeping of the law if they are yet under the law but upon one transgression of it the law doth most justly condemn and curse them Nothing is more naturall to fallen man under sin then when having sinned to devise an excuse and thinks and surmiseth that because such an excuse will be taken by his own blinded conscience therefore God will also accept of it so flatters himself in his own eyes till his iniquity be found to be hatefull Psal 36.2 Thus Adam as assoon as he had sin'd he thought how to excuse the matter puts it off to the woman and the woman to the devil which trade sinners have well learnt and have driven it on ever since to their own damnation Observe this If every sinner yet under the law and the power of sinne had not some vain pretence and excuse to ensilence conscience and foolishly thinks to insinuate unto God he or she must needs fall down before the Lord see all their pretences and coverts to be damnable flatteryes and soul-cheatings and so Judge themselves and pronounce God most righteous if he damn them for ever Oh therefore sinners Away with all your pretences no more excusing but judging and go to the great God and fall down at his feet crying out oh I am a transgressour the law condemns me no excuse will be taken my mouth is now stopped what ever God do with me he is most holy and righteous If I were going to Hell I must justifie God and cannot say unto him why doest thou thus Thus t is with a poor soul when the Lord by his word and spirit opens sin reveales the law layes it in upon the conscience discovers the holinesse and exactnesse of his justice that the law shewes no mercy but cryes out for fulfilling or pronounceth absolute condemnation then I say a sinner cryes out Oh I am cast by the Law I am gone by the Law All my pleas are found too light All my endeavour to keep it is worth nothing if guilty in the least while I am under the law I must find out a righteousnesse else where another way or condemnation just condemnation is my portion for ever Here 's the first stroke of a convinced sinner when God is outing him from himself and all his coverts or excuses and brings him naked to put on the righteousnesse of his Son Jesus Christ freely held out in the gospel which is the work in hand 2. If no excuse can be heard or taken for the transgression of the law for but one breach of it but every mouth is stopped how much lesse will any excuse be taken for withstanding the gospell of grace by Jesus Christ saith our blessed Lord. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is not so great sinne and condemnation but now they have no cloak nor excuse for their sinne If a righteous law leave all the world without excuse much more a gospel that offers free grace and pardon and righteousnesse by Jesus Christ to any sinner condemn'd by the law that will come in as so condemn'd and accept of the free gift of righteousnesse by him But that I may yet a little further labour to bring in the sense of guilt upon the soul I shall prove every soul guilty before God of the
transgression of the law and shew what the sense of guilt is which few there are that have in a saving way Observ 3. Every soul in the world is guilty before God of the transgression of the Law And all the world may become guilty before God This hath been proved where we have shew'd that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God This guilt is threefold which is set home upon every sinners heart when convinc'd of sin by the spirit 1. The guilt of Adams sin which stands charg'd upon every sinner in the world while under the law Rom. 5.18 2. The guilt of the corruption of our natures sinne in the fountain as I have shewed which is likewise upon every Son or Daughter of Adam they are all corrupt Psal 14.1 wherein lies the exceeding sinfulfulnesse of sin 3. The guilt of actuall rebellion against God sinne brought forth and acted in the outward man against God Now under this threefold guilt is every sinner in the world while under the law the effect of which if not reconciled is punishment sutable to the guilt which is Thou shall surely dye And The wages of sinne is death eternall death Rom. 6. last Use 1. This may therefore inform and convince that every sin brings guilt upon the soul and so deserves death and everlasting wrath from God you that make light of sin to lye to profane the name of the Lord be in worldly discourses on the Lords day in any way of sin whatsoever weigh this in thy conscience There 's not the least sin but makes thee guilty before the tribunall of God God the law Angels Conscience are all witnesses against thee where 's the soul that will think to avoid this charge shall I prove every soul of you guilty and that before God If this were proved by the power of the word in the conscience I know what and I shall shew it you will be the effect of it lay your consciences to the Word and if thou art found guilty before the Lord this day go home with the sense of it upon thy soul and do as a guilty sinner should do 1. Consider first as to what concerns God immediately The Law requires Thou shouldst have no other Gods but him Exod. 20. Which Jesus Christ interprets is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul now Hath God had thy whole heart and soul darest thou say so Hath not the world had more of thy heart then God Dost not thou love the world and the things of it Do not thy affections thoughts desires of thy heart even day and night go after it yea you cannot but grant that 't is so Then God and Angels are witnesse that thou art guilty of the damnable sin of Idolatry And such a one shall not as such enter into the kingdome of God Eph. 5.5 Know by that Scripture A covetous heart may send thee to Hell as well as any sin in the world No Covetous man who is an Idolater shall enter into the kingdome of God read over the place every day and tremble at it Here 's guilt already enough to damn thee 2. Thou hast worshipped God superstitiously and idolatrously after the traditions and commandments of men you that are elderly people are all guilty here in a grievous manner in the time of your ignorance when superstitious Ceremonies were practised and the Common-prayer-Book worship was upheld when you polluted the Ordinances of Jesus Christ coming to Sacraments with sins upon your souls from which sins you are not converted and changed to this day which the Apostle calls eating and drinking damnation or judgment under which guilt you still lye and would heap up more of this guilt were not some more tender of your souls then your selves Here 's guilt to purpose who is free from it and how many unhumbled under it to this day Art thou not now ready to cry out Oh hold hold you need go no further my conscience is smitten oh guilt great guilt lyes upon me Oh that 't were the cry of many souls before the Lord how might it end in mercy that shall be for ever 3. But yet further to pursue thy conscience for that 's the nature of guilt doth not the Lord require in his law that thou shouldst not take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 Now sinner stave off this guilt if thou canst How oft hast thou abused and profaned this great and dreadfull Name the Lord thy God by swearing or in thy by-by-words crying oh Lord oh God for Gods sake for Christs sake upon every foolish vain occasion with no more reverence of his Name then the most Common name in the world And some of you have as many dayes as you have lived since your childhood bin frequently guilty of this great evil which thou hast made a small matter of which if ever God pardon it it will appear to be odious guilt from the height of thy heart-Atheism How oft hast thou heard the word and thy heart bin after the world and thine eyes gazing up and down that t is easie to discern thou regardest not what is spoken from God to thee and the same in prayer how oft hast thou babled ore the Lords prayer like a charme with no reverence of Gods Majesty upon thy soul in thy bed it may be in a drowsie manner or if otherwise not understanding the words thou speakest much lesse thy heart affected with them or it may be saying over the Creed and the Commandements or some Service-book prayers as abundance do grievously profaning Gods Name and offering lip labour which his soul abhorreth yea know what hath bin often proved that thy prayers and all thy worship and good deeds as thou callest them are an abomination to the Lord while thou art in thy sin an unconverted and unholy person yea the way of thy worship in which thou placest thy greatest confidence hath bin the highest aggravation of thy sin in offering up to God that which his soul hateth Esay 1.11 12 13 14 15. When you make many prayers saith the Lord I will not hear you c. And as to the sanctifying the Sabbath which thou shouldest make a holy rest unto God thou hast made it a meer fleshly rest consuming the day upon thy lusts in vanity idlenesse carnall and worldly discourses in families in the streets to the high dishonour of the Name of God and hardening of thy heart against the truths of God rendring thereby the preaching of the Gospel wholly unprofitable to thy soul A carriage farr unlike a man that hath the grace of God upon him and a most invincible argument to thy conscience that thou makest not God his word ordinances sabbaths a holy delight and knowest not the excellency and sweetnesse of Communion with him Say sinner and lay thy conscience to this conviction is hearing and that with love praying praising meditating conferring of holy things the very heaven of thy
25. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye make clean the out side of the cup and platter but with they are full of extortion and excesse so with the same woe pronounced verse 27. Ye are like unto whited sepulchers which indeed appear beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleannesse verse 28. Even so also ye outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of Hypocrisie and iniquity Mark the Lords words within ye are thus and thus As if the Lord should say God regards not what you are outwardly and your observing the law with the outward man seeing you have abundance of all iniquity within which every unregenerate soul in the world hath so you may see that an outward keeping of the law standes for nothing in the account of God whatever it do with men and your selves which you hear Jesus Christ gives forth as the mark of an Hypocrite Now you have heard the law requires inward as well as outward perfection perfect holinesse within as well as righteousnesse in the outward man I verily believe want of this conviction upon the soul sends more soules to Hell then any other thing in the world besides how confident are poor Creatures if they are a little consciencious in dealing and sober and blamelesse to men this you may be and be no better then devils as in your selves in Gods account and thy best Character from Jesus Christ Mat. 23.26 is a Blind Pharisee Every place I fear abounds with them therefore this inveterate cursed plea of being outwardly blamelesse in keeping the Law will not in the least tender you more accepted with God but t is at the best but painted Hypocrisie And yet wretched souls that you are none so well perswaded of themselves as these This the fourth reason 5. All the best keeping of the Law doth not cannot make satisfaction to God for one sin of thy soul therefore t is worth nothing Gods Justice is wronged and if the sinner be remitted God must be satisfied by the sinner himself or by another Now all the obedience of a sinner cannot make satisfaction to God in the least If he had the whole world to offer up to God it could not satisfie him for the the wrong of one sin see that known place Micah 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Implying that there is nothing that a poor sinner of himself can offer up to God to make atonement or satisfaction to God for the least sin of his soul should he offer up thousands of prayers rivers of tears whole ages spent in services to God take up to a severe new obedience if you should so take up to a new course as never to sinne more all your dayes it would not make God satisfaction or atonement for one evil thought of thy soul Now observe this for if thou art not rightly convinced of this thing thou art lost for ever T is naturally upon every man and womans heart that hath sinned to imagine that when they have sinned they can put off God as to his displeasure with something or other they will reckon what good they have done gone to Church as you style it given Almes bin just to men or some such thing and the poor blind Creature imagines and pleaseth himself in it that this good thus done will well enough pacifie God for his sins or at least he will go over some prayers be strickt for a little while and then they doubt not but God because also he presently smites not with judgment is well enough apayed and he need no more trouble himself Is not this the very way of your hearts hath not the word found you out Object But you will say why cannot these duties and this obedience satisfie and pacifie God well enough for sin Answ 1. Because there is sinne mixt in them they come from a profane heart as is shew'd in the last reason though thou ignorantly because thou knowest not thy heart call'st it a good heart now that which is in it self sinfull cannot sure satisfie for sinne 2. Because of the infiniteness of Gods justice as well as purity of it A finite creature cannot offer up a proportionable atonement to an infinite God Suppose a poor man were under the guilt of treason condemn'd to dye and he should go offer up a little coorse broken bread to the Prince would any one think that this would satisfie the Prince for his treason So poor deceived creature thou art guilty of treason and rebellion against the great and most high God and thou comest and offerest up to him thy poor polluted broken obedience and duties and thinkest he will be satified with this whereas God may in the same moment justly send thee to Hell for the iniquity of them A poor sinfull soul thinkes that because such doings and services do satisfie himself his own conscience therefore he thinks they will satisfie God also because they quiet him upon any trouble for guilt he thinks they will also quiet God and take off his anger and justice from punishing him poor creature this thy way is thy folly and the ready way to come under the severe justice of the Almighty who will not thus be dealt with nor be thus bribed with thy cursed sacrifices This is a further convincement of the point All the creature can do cannot pacifie God for one sin and therefore all his best keeping of the law cannot justifie a poor sinner before God nor give him acceptance in the least with him till he sees pacification another way and takes up obedience from another principle and to another end as we are to shew 6. All a mans endeavour in setting himself to keep the law to the utmost cannot give him acceptance with God because it cannot give life to the soul Gal. 3.21 For if there had bin a law which would have given life verily righteousnesse had come by the law Man hath procured death and weaknes upon his soul and the law cannot give life nor strength to obey it All that righteousness which leavs the soul dead comes to nothing while a soul is under the law and upon the fulfilling of it as he hopes in a good measure still the soul is as dead as sin left it and void of the life of God true A poor soul thinkes himself alive by his legall performances as Paul thought Rom. 7.9 but he is dead in sin and under the sentence of death by the Law and all the performances towards the keeping of it can never give a drop of life to such a poor soul they are dead
and that if thou hadst bin let alone in peace in thy former state thou hadst bin certainly damned sure thou art then as yet void of any interest in the Gospel saving righteousnesse thy pretended faith and hope and duties and workes and conscience all 's in vain Now the soul that hath the blessed experience of all these and can say I have through infinite mercy bin brought off my own foundation I have found the difficulty of it I find my heart apt to settle upon my own performances and t is that I would watch against And I can experience the sin of my Nature the greatest burthen and cry out of it daily before the Lord The Hypocrisie of my heart is an abhorring to men I do find believing the hardest work of my soul I do mourn under the sinfull mixture of my duties I do give up my self to the spirits leadings I am troubled about my inward growth and humbled for the shortnesse of it I would learn more and more to live out of my self for my justification and be kept a poor empty nothing for ever before the Lord If this I say be thy experienc then thou shalt have peace and joy in the holy Ghost Thou mayst rejoyce in a justified estate Christ his righteousnesse grace spirit heaven are thine Having now laid open the sinner as under the law excuseless guilty and under condemnation under an impossibility of obtaining righteousnesse and acceptance with God by the best endeavours to keep the Law I would now set upon the opening the Gospel-righteousnesse by Jesus Christ through which onely a poor condemned sinner can find acceptance but that I conceive it first needfull to speak a word to those words in the close of the 22. verse viz. for there is no difference which may further help on the conviction we have been upon The Iew might object to the Apostle thus you by your doctrine seem to conclude all under the Law equally and under guilt you make no difference between us Iews who have the Law and endeavour to keep it and the open profane Gentiles and sinners In this you do us wrong No sayth the Apostle There 's no difference you who in part keep the Law are under the same condemnation as others That which I shall lay down will be this Observ There is no difference between the most profane person and the righteous and sober as to justification or condemnation by the law I mean this The just sober man as to his keeping of the Law outwardly or in part is in as damnable estate as the profanest wretch in the world This will hardly go down but t is most clear from the Apostle's words readd unto you and hath been in part proved by shewing all the Sons and Daughters of Adam Jews and Gentiles sober and ungodly all under the Law But a little further to prosecute this doctrine for were a man or woman who hath lived honestly and soberly in the eye of the world but yet out of Christ convinced that he or she were in as bad and damnable a condition as any great sinner in the world it might be a startling to them and a means through the Spirit 's working to bring them off their vain confidence and to lead them to Christ Now that I may clear this let us first consider what it was that might difference the sober Jew from the profane Idolatrous Gentile it being the same which such as conceive themselves sober harmelesse people in this day do put confidence in 1. The Jew was Circumcised which was the first Ordinance of the old Testament-Church as Baptism is of the New and to be administred to the seed of the Church and it doth appear this was much insisted on by the Jew by what the Apostle speakes Rom. 2. verse 18.19 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 2. They had the Scriptures of God Rom. 3.2 Unto them were committed the Oracles of God which indeed the Apostle calls an advantage in the same place as it might be a meanes to lead them to the knowledge of God and to the promise of Iesus Christ but no advantage at all as to the mere having them read and opened and in a generall faith believing them as the more to justifie them in the sight of God 3. The Iews were under the publique service of God such as was ordained by God himself Rom. 9.4 5. 4. They were for the most part righteous to men and sober and blamelesse in the outward man Ye indeed are they which are righteous before men as the Lord often speaks of them Now 't is most clear that these things did not difference the Iew as to acceptation with God and Iesus Christ from the most profane sinner for the Lord Iesus Christ rejected these and call'd to himself Publicans and Harlots and tells the Iews that such should enter into the Kingdome of God before them Math. 21.31 As might be further instanced in the case of the Pharisee and Publican Luke 18.9 Now the Reasons of this point have bin before hinted namely that a mere sober man under Christian priviledges is no more accepted with Christ nor in any nearer capacity to come to Christ then the greatest sinner because one sin puts a man under the condemnation of the law as well as a million of sins against it one felony condemns a man as well as a thousand and the malefactor must dye by the law for it All the good a man doth will not be imputed to him if he be found a transgressour in one part of the Law Ezek. 18.24 All men come short of the glory of God in the fulfilling of the Law and he that falls short but in one mile is in as bad a case as he that falls short twenty miles Jesus Christ accepts of no man for his righteousnesse but as a sinner nothing else but a sinner so that still the case of a just man in reference to the Law is as dangerous as the greatest sinner's in the world Use A little further to presse this you who are baptised have a generall belief of the Scriptures are under part of the publique service of God are just and harmlesse as to men but yet are under the power of unbelief and see it not are not born again of the Spirit are not in Christ Jesus you who rest satisfied in such a condition and think your hope for Heaven well-grounded and will not be beaten off it I must tell you and 't is proved unto your Consciences from the Word of the Lord that there 's no difference between you and the vilest sinners in the Countrey as to your acceptance with God Though it be thus with you yet as you have been
shewed you may be under the Law condemned for one transgression and what can you be more then be condemned Neither doth all this as in it self any more prepare you for Jesus Christ And therefore let all the Convictions Arguments Demonstrations we have produced from the clear Light of the Word of the Lord at last prevail with you that you who thus satisfie your selves because you are baptized believe the Scriptures frequent the service of God are just and sober therefore it is well with you and you will trouble your selves no further in the matter of your salvation that the estate of your soules is as unsafe and desperate how secure soever as the profoundest Drunkard in the Countrey Therefore let this Conviction have force upon your Conscience that you must come anew to Jesus Christ as a mere sinner having nothing to commend you to him Say from the Light of the Word Though I have thus satisfied my self pleas'd my self in these Duties and outward Priviledges yet there 's no difference between me and the vilest sinner in order to my acceptance with Jesus Christ Nay if this Conviction take upon thee thou wilt say to the glory of God and thy own confusion If there be any difference 't is that thou art the greatest sinner having mocked the Lord rested in out-side service dealt hypocritically with the jealous God offered him abominable sacrifice and therefore fit to be abhorred of the Lord for ever Oh! that this might be the posture of thy Soul and so thou mayest come and lye prostrate at the feet of Jesus Christ crying Oh! no more no more a righteous person but a sinner a guilty sinner a condemned sinner a poor blind naked sinner nothing else but a sinner Away with all my former confidences tear them from my heart Lord. Now Lord Jesus I cast my self upon thee Oh! let me creep unto thy blessed feet Oh! I come to thee not because I am righteous for I would abhor my self for ever in the thought of it but as a poor perishing sinner the worst of sinners an hypocritical sinner Oh! that I could take hold of thy righteousness to cover my naked Soul I expect it onely upon the account of thy Free-Grace Oh Lord I come unto thee do not do not reject me And thus have I been endeavouring to lay the sinner before Jesus Christ in such a posture having proved him under the Law excuseless in his transgressing of it guilty before God under an impossibility of reaching to an acceptance with God by the best keeping of the Law laboured to beat him off such props and confidences that the Heart naturally cleaves to and stript him of all naked as Adam when he had sinned before the Lord as nothing else but a sinner which is that I have driven at I now come to speak of the way of a poor Souls justification and acceptance with God by Jesus Christ as the Lord shall assist to the capacity of the weakest ROM 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ I Am now come to open the Gospel-righteousness wherein a poor sinner finds acceptance with God which in ver 21. of this 3d of the Romans is said to be now manifested that is more fully manifested by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel being witnessed before by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ver 22. called the righteousness of God namely that whereby God doth onely justifie and accept of a sinner wrought forth by the obedience of Jesus Christ and made over and imputed to a poor Soul that doth embrace it by Faith whether Jew or Gentile outwardly righteous or profane all that ever come to God must come this way and stand before him in this righteousness or perish for ever which I shall begin to open from ver 24 25. 1. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ 2. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his bloud c. We have endeavoured in the former Discourse to go along with the Apostle in proving that by all the Deeds of the Law all the best Obedience that a sinner can reach unto he cannot be justified before God neither in part nor in whole that your good deeds will not procure pardon nor poise down your sins but all by the Law equally under condemnation Of what importance then is it for poor condemned soules to be well acquainted with and really and practically invested in that way of justification that God in infinite wisdome mercy and love hath set forth in the Gospel which is that I now design The Apostles arguing is thus If all fall short of righteousness and acceptance with God by their own obedience If all have sinned and come short of the glory of God then are all and that equally condemned If so condemned then acceptance with God and justification and remission of sinnes must come in another way The Rise and Fountain of which must necessarily be Gods free mercy and grace If made righteous it must be in the righteousness of another wrought forth by another Justice must be satisfied by another a price paid to God for a sinners redemption by another which is Jesus Christ blessed for ever From the words then I shall first lay down this plain Observation viz. Observ Gods free mercy and grace is the first Fountain of any sinners salvation or 'T is upon the account of ' Gods free grace that any sinner is saved Thus runs the current of the whole Gospel the main design of the Gospel being to glorifie the riches of Gods free grace by Jesus Christ Among many other Scriptures the Apostle doth most convincingly discourse in Rom. 5. from the 15th to the end letting the free grace of God unto justification in opposition to a sinners condemnation But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many To the same import run the rest of the verses The free gift of many unto justification much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ All of grace and of free-gift abundance of grace from first to last That as sin reigned unto death so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord vers last So the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians wherein the Doctrine of grace is blessedly given forth drives all the spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ mentioned Chap. 1.3 c. to this blessed Fountain Chap. 2.4 c. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
this Snare many of the Jewish Professours of Christ fell short as 't is clear from the Epistle to the Galathians and did frustrate the grace of God 3. A sinner hath a secret thought of making God satisfaction by his sorrow and amendment and so makes void the Free-grace of God 'T is the easiest thing in the World to put up legal sorrow and amendment of life to God as that which may make God amends yea to make an atonement of every Duty which is the closest and most desperate evil of the heart so did the Jew by his sacrifices and obedience which caused the Lord to pronounce of them That his soul loathed them Isa 1. 4. A sinner doth not savingly close with free grace from a secret pride of heart he would not be found so poor and helpless so unrighteous ungracious as to be beholden to free mercy for all Many persons will rather starve then beg then live upon another mans mercy 't is so between a sinner and the Lord till God humble him hee 'd rather venture Hell then come and acknowledge utter condemnation nothing but sin upon him and so stoop to free mercy 5. The sinner stands off from free-grace because he will make his own termes he will condition for his carnall ease his self-interest his bosome lust the love of the world and hopes God will allow him his termes which he proposeth to himself and herein he is ruined Now God hath drawn up the tenour of his free grace in the way of a Covenant and though there are no conditions left to the creature to make good on his part by his own power for that will easily imply a self-sufficiency in him and is absolutely derogatory from the grace of God in the Gospel-Covenant yet God hath drawn up as I may so speak what other good things he will bestow on the subjects of his free grace Namely The Law to be new written in their hearts the gift of the Spirit Newnesse of heart with the making good of all those promises in a degree that hold forth holinesse and new obedience which must accompany the free pardon of sins and make indeed the free grace of God more glorious Inasmuch as when he pardons them he will save them from the service of sin work his Image upon them bring them to a blessed conformity to himself which considered aright sweetens and heightens the free grace of God and makes the termes of it more blessed In a word Mercy and holinesse must go together A Saviour and Sanctifier which a sinner from the cursed love of ease and satisfaction to his lusts sticks at and so comes not up to Gods termes which are blessed and holy and so misseth of grace and mercy for ever because he chooseth sinne rather then holinesse 6. Yea a sinner and I speak all this while of such as pretend to an interest in free mercy misseth of this grace because he takes up the termes of God in his Covenant of grace in his own strength will repent and come up to new obedience before he comes to the promise to the free grace of God for it which is also a dangerous snare A sinner's first work being convinced as we have opened is to throw himself upon the free grace of God for all to give all to work all and so to follow God by vertue of promises of such good and grace as the tenour of the Covenant holds forth T is an usuall thing for poor souls first to think to convert themselves make themselves holy and then come to God and Jesus Christ this is an indirect course Oh! a poor soul must begin at the fountain of Gods free grace for Christ for pardon for the Spirit for conversion for holinesse for all as held out in promises and then the worke will be sure and prosper and nought shall hinder it 7. Sinners fail of this free grace of God from a neglect and sleighting of it Heb. 2.3 How shall you escape if you neglect so great a salvation Sinners do hear that though they are sinners and condemned in a damnable estate yet Jesus Christ will save them if they will come unto him fit them for heaven and do it himself for them and in them yet through a desperate folly security and careless temper the heart being in a dead sleep they wretchedly neglect it 8. From the power of unbelief which they are under and see it not Thus have I shew'd those speciall hinderances that cause poor souls that hear of Gospel-grace to withstand it and for ever to misse of it Oh that this word of the Lord might find you out and might be as a glasse to shew you your own hearts you who by a willfull obstinacy have withstood the Gospell-calls hitherto Oh! now fall down before the Lord and cry I yeeld I yeeld thou blessed God thy patience thy freest grace hath overcome me Lord take away a rebellious obstinate heart from me Ah Lord Thou hast waited to be gracious and Christ and Mercy and Heaven have been offered to so vile a Wretch freely Now Lord I throw my self at thy feet a thousand Hells are too good for me but if grace infinite grace be free there 's yet hope for me If there be not grace enough in Heaven for me let me go to the depth of Hell but Lord I take hold of thee I desire to do it Oh do thou take hold of me and I shall not perish You who have stood upon your terms and hoped you had Righteousness enough to cover you and God would look upon that and not upon your sin you are the most abominable in God's sight you who secretly in your hearts think your sorrowing and reforming makes God amends you who have wrapt your selves in these Cobwebs and through pride of heart will not lay them down Oh! if thou wilt have mercy thou must have all in a way of mercy and grace all freely or nothing at all see all thy righteousness made void by one sin against the Law and therefore cursed and condemned by it therefore thou hast no Plea but free mercy and grace Oh lay down all thy other Pleas they will never be heard in Heaven and now cry out Oh 't is of grace proud selfish Wretch that I have been 't is all of free grace if ever I am saved If God cannot pardon freely bestow Jesus Christ freely I am undone for ever Oh the wicked castings of my heart this way and that way Oh there 's nothing nothing but infinite mis ry to move mercy All my goodness is an accursed thing as from my self there 's an infinite Fountain of sin and self-righteousness in men Oh could I come to an infinite Fountain of grace Thus thou wilt come to God when he shall smite thy heart Which now look up unto him to do You who have been making your own terms of ease and lusts and world Oh render up your hearts to the gracious blessed holy
terms that God proposeth Why should'st thou not be willing to be made holy Why should not the Lord rather rule thee then sin and the Devil What more beautiful and glorious then the Image of God Oh accept of holiness with mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ Come unto him for both be willing to be set apart for God a Vessel purged and sanctified for his use and thou shalt behold the face of God shining upon thee and whatever is laid up in Christ in Promises in Heaven and glory shall be thine You who have thought to make your selves holy and then come to Christ to be justified be convinced of your great errour and now come as sinners to Jesus Christ to be justified and sanctified in him and see all grace laid up in Jesus Christ for such as come unto him Say Oh blessed Lord Jesus I cannot fit my self for thee If thou canst not accept me as a poor undone helpless sinner coming unto thee I never expect a blessing from thee And you who have sleighted this free and rich and glorious grace see what you have done and be abased for it see how you cast back mercy upon the face of God who would freely be reconciled with you pass by all the grievous injuries you have done him enter into a Covenant with you bestow his Christ upon you fit you for communion with himself here and for ever and all this you have sleighted and yet must unavoidably be for ever damned without it Sinner who can plead for thee when thou shalt go on to despise neglect sleight such grace To Hell without pitty of God Angels or Men when freest mercy and grace shall be sleighted I do therefore stand this day in the Name of Jesus Christ to acquaint you that he will save you freely if you will come unto him be your sins what they will so you come not as righteous but as sinners to him so you take his Righteousness to cover you and his Spirit of grace to unite you to him and make you holy and will give up your selves unto him All which he will help if you will come and cry to him yea if you cannot come he will draw you if you are unwilling he will make you willing if you have no heart he will give you heart What more Wretched man or woman that shall stand off one moment longer Is not Hell too good for thee if thou shalt now turn thy back upon such grace Let me have your Answers this day Let me know that sinner that will go home resolved to be as careless as he formerly hath been as well-opinioned of himself as much resolved against Holiness as thoughtless of being damned if he with-stand the Lord in his Free-grace one day more Oh! Will not your hearts stirre dead stupid soules Shall God's Free-grace his Christ go a begging this day and will not a sinner come up to his terms Old sinners that are going into the grave and Hell too will not you accept of Free-grace of Christ the Spirit this day that are upon the brink of the grave and everlasting burnings and have many a thousand sin yet unpardoned Is all this nothing to you but rest in a blind hope of mercy without coming to Jesus Christ without care of being made holy and fit for Heaven Oh you have been fast asleep in sin deceived by your own hearts abused by the Devil fourty fifty sixty years Is' t not time for you to bethink your selves to go and cry to the Blessed God Oh! grace pardon Christ Heaven upon any terms My righteousness I have trusted in are poor Cobwebs my Confidences vain Oh! for a drop of free-mercy and grace from that Ocean that is in God and 't were better then all I have done for Heaven yet Oh Lord Now now I come to thee Is there free-mercy and grace for one that hath sleighted it Yea though thou hast gone on frowardly in thy own heart yet he can heal thee Isa 57.17 18. And you that are younger 't is a desperate thing now in times of Gospel-Light when it glares upon your faces to shut your eyes to go on in the way of your own hearts to sleight Gospel-grace to harden your selves and cry Hereafter hereafter Alas thou knowest not what shall be on the morrow the Thread of thy Life is quickly cut with a stroke from God Beside to go on long from year to year against the loud and frequent Call of Jesus Christ against Convictions that thou shouldest do otherwise is the way to be given up to utter hardness and the Lord to move upon thy heart no more There 's a day of grace to every Soul which if he suffer to set and go down upon him he is irrecoverably lost for ever Look to it you younger men and maidens that have yet no work upon you that are the same you were under the means you have lived that have not the Spirit of grace and mourning upon you when others are praying and wrastling with the Lord and taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence Oh up and be stirring the day of grace hath shined long upon you Hold out no longer Come come come you careless Sons and Daughters and the way is open to you the door of Free-grace is open Christs Arms are open you may be saved and blessed for ever if you come in now you are invited I can take no excuse Come or say I am resolved for Hell and to venture the utmost in the condition I am in Oh bold and fearless Atheist What shall I say to thee if that be thy Resolution But I cannot be so answered Say you sinners as if I should name you Are you for Heaven or Hell for Free-grace or your own patcht-up Righteousness for Carnal ease or any Pains for Heaven for your Lusts or for Holiness for Jesus Christ or the Devil Let thy Heart answer in good earnest this day Now shall I at last have this Answer Hold I am resolved for the Free-grace of God for the Lord Jesus Christ If all the sinners in the Congregation yea in the World should turn their backs upon him The Word of the Lord hath overcome Oh Lord Jesus may I come such a Wretch as I come Yea saith the Lord Jesus Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him come Grace is as free as ever it was Say then Oh Lord I come draw me and I will come Into the Arms of Free-grace I throw my self my Righteousness is an abominable thing Ah! a Christ upon any tearms Oh let let me creep unto thy Blessed Feet let me have the Lowest-Room in thy Heart Take what way thou wilt to purge me so I may but get well unto thee Now Lord as much Holiness as thou wilt let thy precious bloud wash me all over Well! go thus and acquaint the Lord Jesus with it from day to day Wait he will speak to thee love to hear more from him and of him in his Gospel and
thou biddest fair for Heaven yea there will presently be joy in Heaven for thee In a word I protest against you in the Name and Authority of God and the Lord Iesus Christ who hath sent me if you shall withstand the grace of God in Jesus Christ freely most freely offered you I shall be a Witness against you and if any sinners in the World shall be certainly damned you are they who neglect this great Salvation 'T is come to this I would saith Jesus Christ and ye will not What a do to have a sinner that 's sinking to Hell to come to the Lord Jesus Christ to be freely saved What should a guilty sinner do but come to a free Saviour to be saved and accept of his tearms which are so blessed with a thousand hearts if he had them Now say how am I straitned till I get to him I would go and weep my heart out to him had I a heart to do it Now I leave what hath been spoken to the good pleasure of God and the work of his Power who is able to send away every Soul trembling and resigning up themselvs to him Onely a word to any poor humbled doubting soul that thinks infinitely well of all this but saith in his heart All this grace is too good for me I have sinned against it and sleighted it I fear whether ever I may be accepted Oh remember and consider that Grace were not Grace if 't were no free God can save a sinner freely that 's enough to stay thee yea though thou hast sleighted grace as where is the Saint but did so before effectually called yea God will save a sinner freely that will come by Jesus Christ unto him He will What would'st have more Do not stand reasoning thus but If thou art a sinner undone without him cast off from thy own Confidences go to him in the Name of God and believe him upon his own word say I take thee Blessed Lord upon thy own word Thou sayest Whosoever will let him come and Lord therefore I come I durst not come were I not invited freely and if I must be saved freely if ever then thou art to bestow all work all begin and perfect all Oh blessed Lord I come unto thee for it go and do thus and thou shalt be comforted and rejoyce in his Salvation I might also here press blessed Souls who have been drawn to Jesus Christ and overcome by Free-grace to do it to live in the admiration of that grace and to be low and poor and empty in your selves in the abundant sense of it all your days Let your enjoyments and attainments be what they will be it known unto you that by grace ye are saved and you had and have as much need of it as any sinner in the World God's Design in saving you was to glorifie Grace and it must be your Design also here and for ever Having thus opened in some measure the grace of God to be the Fountain of a sinner's Salvation I shall now proceed to discover the way of the conveyance of this grace which is by Jesus Christ being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ though God resolved to bestow grace upon such as shall be saved freely yet in a way of his own most wise and blessed Designing by his Eternal Son Jesus Christ to whom this Dispensation of Grace was committed which I shall further open in this Doctrine Namely Doct. All that Grace and Mercy which GOD gives out freely to sinners is conveyed to them by his Eternal Son Jesus Christ I might be abundant in the proof of this See in that 5th of the Rom. v. 17.21 Much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ And vers 21. That as sinne hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord All the grace that should reign unto Life is given out by one Jesus Christ. The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 All the Treasures of Grace were laid up in him and therefore he saith of himself Matth. 11.27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father and none can come unto the Father but by me which he makes as the great Argument why sinners should come unto him vers 28. Now so far as the Lord hath revealed the wise and holy Counsels of his heart in his Word unto us let us inquire into the Reasons why he took such a way to give all his grace to the children of men Reason 1. The first is this That as mankind lost all in the Fall of the first Adam as he was a publique person representing all that came of him so it was the wisdome of God in the recovery of lost-man to bring forth another person that should be fully stockt with grace and righteousness as a publique person to represent all the Elect unto the Father upon which account Jesus Christ is called the Second Adam 1 Cor. 15. And the Apostle sets the first Adam in his offence unto Death and the grace and Righteousness of Iesus Christ as the second Adam one against the other Rom. 5.15 16 c. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous And so the Apostle sets the Life Grace Righteousnesse of Iesus Christ as the Second Adam against the Death Condemnation Disobedience of the first man that sinned in the 7 last Verses of that Chapter And herein the Wisdome of the Father is most excellently set forth and the ground of Consolation to Believers laid upon a most sure Foundation That whatsoever they lost in the First Adam they recover with much more abundance in Iesus Christ for so the Apostle hath that much more in the Scripture mentioned three or four times that Saints may see how abundantly compleat they are in Christ Reas 2. All grace is conveyed by Iesus Christ because there needed a person to stand between GOD and Sinners as a Mediatour to work forth Reconciliation between them Now who was meet but the Lord Iesus Christ to undertake this He being the Eternal Son of God equal with God was near unto God A mere Creature was infinitely unfit for such an undertaking And he being also the Son of man cloathed in the nature of man he thus partaking of the nature of God who was to be appeased and of the Nature of Man who was to be reconciled he became a most meet Undertaker of so glorious a Work Whence he hath that blessed Title given him of Mediatour Jesus the Mediatour of a New Covenant Heb. 12.24 There is one God and one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2.5 3. God resolved that his blessed Son Iesus Christ should have the honour in this blessed Transaction to
convey his grace to lost Sinners Iam. 5.22 23. That all men should honour the Son So the Apostle fully Col. 1.16 17 18 19 20. All things were for him And that in all things he might have the preheminence c. For by him and to him and for him are all things This honour the Father committed to the Son to bring about this great Contrivance of bringing Man back again unto God 4. God letting out his Grace by Iesus Christ renders his love more abundant and acceptable to poor sinners Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son c. So loved it that he could not give forth a greater manifestation of his love Now the Father purposed to render his love to sinners by the gift of his Son most full and glorious and therefore gave him out of his Bosome and all the Riches of his Love and Grace by him 5. This way of the Father's dispensation of grace by his Son Iesus Christ hath rendered the grace of God most sure and unchangeable to his own The Covenant of Grace being now establisht between the Father and Iesus Christ Iesus Christ being the Undertaker in it for all the Father gave him it is certainly founded upon a sure Bottome This was the Father's Promise Isa 42.6 I will give him for a Covenant to the People Iesus Christ as a common person did represent all the Elect in the Covenant as the first Adam in the first Covenant did represent all his and Iesus Christ did undertake to bring them to God to bring them into the Covenant and so to estate them in all the grace and mercy and blessing of it Therefore the mercies of the Covenant are stiled The sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 As a Type of Iesus Christ coming of the Seed of David wherein is set forth the excellency of the New Covenant the whole Transaction of it intrusted in the hands of Jesus Christ and therefore not one drop of the mercy of it can ever fail those that are taken into it 6. By the giving forth of Jesus Christ the whole of Gospel-Salvation is rendered more glorious The Wisdome Justice Holiness of God as well as mercy and love do shine forth in Jesus Christ And therefore the Gospel-mystery is styled The manifold Wisdome of God Ephes 3.10 Every Attribute of God is glorified in the giving out of Jesus Christ 7. Yea had not God taken this way of making out himself by Jesus Christ the World had dwelt in gross darkness of him Therefore Jesus Christ is styled The Image of the Invisible God Col. 1.15 The express Image of the Father The brightness of his glory Heb. 1. And in 2 Cor. 2.6 The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is said to shine in the face of Jesus Christ. The Creation is but a dark shadow of the glory of God as to what is revealed of God in the manifestation of Jesus Christ There are the Footsteps of God in the Creatures but his Character and Image in his Blessed Son Jesus Christ 8. There could not have been access to God but by Jesus Christ for through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father Eph. 1 18. How could polluted Dust draw nigh to the absolute majesty and glory of God had not he let forth himself in Jesus Christ as in our own Nature and so makes way for a poor sinner to come before him 9. Had God let forth mercy to sinners and not given out his Son Jesus Christ His justice must have been violated which is the main of all The word of the Lord was absolute In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Gen. 2.17 which was meant of the Eternal Death of the Soul in its separation from the life of God as is clear in Rom. 5. last where grace unto eternal life by Jesus Christ is put in opposition to that death which was by sin which must therefore needs be meant of Eternal Death So Rom. 6. ver last Now this Death must be executed upon all the Posterity of Adam or else God must take some other way to satisfie his justice he will save the sinner which was upon his own son Jesus Christ as will further be evidenced in the following Discourse 10. The Blessed God took this way of letting out himself his grace by Jesus Christ that thereby Saints might have union with him which was a holy design of rhe Father in saving them That they may be one in us Ioh. 17.21 The deepest and most unconceiveable mystery in our Salvation Now Iesus Christ as the Eternal Son of God taking upon him our natures we became capable of being united to him through the Spirit and made one with the humane nature of Christ whereby we are also united to the God-head and so become one with the Father and the Son which is the top of the Saints perfection Use 1. Now what hath bin said as to the grounds and reasons of God in given out his eternall Son and letting forth all grace by him may serve to acquaint us with this rich and glorious Mystery as it is styled Col. 1.27 Namely God reconciling the word by Jesus Christ letting forth the knowledge of himself glorifying all his Attributes making such discoveries of his glory providing such a way of Mediation such a glorious Mediator laying the blessed project of a sinner's glorious salvation so sure rendring his love so acceptable and glorious making way for free accesse unto himself and how we might become one with him Oh! the depths of the wisdome and love of God which of them may we admire most well may Angels pry into this holy Mystery well may it be the astonishment of Heaven and Earth of the whole Creation How much more of a sinner for whose sake it was thus ordered Oh that we might fall upon our faces and adore the wisdom and grace of God in such a contrivance as this Oh! unmeasurable goodnesse unfathomed wisdom Eternity is but enough to admire it To behold God in Christ will be the vision which the souls of blessed Saints will be wrapt up into to all eternity 2. Oh! therefore what infinite mercy is it to be brought forth in new Testament-times when the Mystery hid in God hid from ages kept secret since the word began 1 Cor. 16.25 is brought to light and sparkling upon the darknesse of the world when the glory of God is risen upon the world Now If this Gospel be hid t is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 Woe unto them that close their eyes when the light shines round about them Oh! you that yet sit in darknesse and the shaddow of death Arise Awake look up that Gospel-light may shine into you Oh cry wait that your eyes may be opened to behold God coming forth in the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the glorious Gospel waite for the spirit and thar the Gospel in the preaching of it
may become the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 Oh! guilty world that so slight the knowledge of Jesus Christ and contemn the Ministration of it woe unto them 3. If God doth let forth no grace and mercy but by Jesus Christ It may serve to unbottom poor souls from a generall carnall hope of mercy not being acquainted with the way of grace by Jesus Christ nor coming as lost sinners in themselves to be found in Christ and justified by Jesus Christ this they utterly neglect having an empty notion of Christs dying but know not for what and upon what grounds and how a sinner gets to God by him Oh! let this reprove you for this grosse and damnable neglect and convince you that all your pretended hopes of mercy will vanish unless you learn the knowledge of Jesus Christ 4. And therefore If no way to the Father no interest in mercy no accesse to God but by Jesus Christ Let it serve to teach poor ignorant sinners yea all of us how to get to God to mercy into his Covenant Oh! No way but by Jesus Christ Oh! I can never come to the presence of Gods Majesty but by Jesus Christ who is appointed Mediator to bring a poor sinner to himself to make way for him into the presence of God to conveigh mercy and grace to a poor sinners Oh say that I could acquaint my self with Jesus Christ take hold of his skirts and he will bring me into the favour love covenant vision union of God This is the way for a sinner to come unto him Joh. 14.6 5. Let it call upon Saints that know Jesus Christ in the Spirit that they do not grow strangers to him that they neglect not Jesus Christ Oh! Neglect him not in his blessed Mediation grace love fellowship appearance ordinances 'T is a grievious thing and very apt are Saints to it to neglect Jesus Christ Oh still know and consider that as your accesse to God was by him at first so it is still His Mediation for you his love and grace and fellowship is as good as ever as precious as it ever was Therefore have high and precious thoughts of him of your blessed accesse to God by Jesus Christ The next thing that I come to open is how Jesus Christ wrought forth salvation and justification for a sinner so that the free grace of God might by him be freely let out upon a sinner Namely the work of his Redemption through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ verse â—4 I shall not insist upon the many difficulties that the wisdome of the flesh hath started about the word or worke of our Redemption but endeavour as I have promised to give it out in a plain Scripturall practicall manner for the use of poor sinners Redemption signifies a deliverance from captivity by a price or ransome laid down Man had sin'd himself into captivity and a just condemnation God from his own free mercy was willing he should be set at liberty but this should not be done but by a price or ransome being paid to God which was the intervening death of Jesus Christ who being the eternal Son of God came down from Heaven took upon him the nature of man was willing to stand in the room of sinners bearing their sins in the undergoing the punishment for them whereby God laid upon Jesus Christ the iniquities of all that shall be saved Esay 53.6 proceeded against him as if he had bin the sinner in a way of Justice executed his wrath upon him Thus he is said to dye for the sins of his own 2 Cor. 5.15 Heb. 9.15 and to give himself for us and to give his life a ransome for many which death of Jesus Christ is styled an expiatory sacrifice an atonement and propitiation All which do imply that by the death of Jesus Christ satisfaction was made to the infinite Justice of God as if the sinners that are saved by it had suffered the utmost of divine Justice in their own persons Thus much may serve briefly to open the nature of Christs redemption The Doctrine I shall lay down from the words will be this Doct. To the Salvation and Justification of a sinner in order to Gods letting out his free grace upon him there was required the death of Jesus Christ as a price laid down to the justice of God for his redemption I might urge many more texts besides what have bin named As 1 Pet. 1.18.19 redeemed not with silver and gold c. but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ Ephes 1.7 Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of our sins This was it which was typified by all the sacrifices in the Old Testament-dispensation as in the Epistle to the Hebr. at large specially in the 9th Chapter verse 12.13 14 22. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission From hence the reasons of divine wisdome thus proceeding so farre as revealed in the word will be clear Reasons 1. That the Justice of God might be glorified in the salvation of sinners as well as mercy Now there being atonement made to Justice by the death of Jesus Christ the Righteousnesse of God hath a share in the glory of mans salvation with the Grace and mercy of God 2. The purity and holinesse of Gods justice did require it which being violated by the sin of man it was most equall that satisfaction be made which no mere creature was able to do and therefore the eternall Son of God blessed for ever was appointed of the Father to it therefore 't is said verse 25. of this 3d of the Rom. That He might be just and the justifier of them that believe in Iesus given as a reason of Gods setting forth his Son to be a propitiation 3. The expresse word of the Lord did require it who pronounced to all mankind in Adam that the transgressour should surely dye Gen. 2.17 Therefore upon his transgression the sinner must either dye in his own person or another in his stead which God in his infinite wisdome might order as he pleas'd Now God being willing to glorifie his mercy chose to lay this punishment on his own Son Jesus Christ and not on the condemned sinner which Jesus Christ also voluntarily undertaking the word of the Lord was fully made good and Jesus Christ dying for the sinner being made a curse for him 't was all one as if the sinner himself had dyed 4. God gave out a holy and righteous Law written in the heart of Adam which Law was just and holy and good Rom. 7. Now this Law being broken God would not dispence with it in shewing mercy to the sinner unlesse his Law was satisfied which Jesus Christ undertook Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned
this Redemption and the necessity of it and how it makes atonement merits mercy and pardon procures peace and reconciliation with God so they would come and accept of it and fall down before the righteous God and plead it to him Thou hast heard the way of Gods letting out mercy to sinners and no mercy but in that way but by justice being satisfied by the death and blood of Jesus Christ whereby he becomes the Saviour of sinners Now this bloud is offered up to God the price is paid and accepted with God and in the Gospel of God t is revealed and preacht to the guilty world and t is freely offered to any poor sinner that will come and accept of it and make claim to it and plead for mercy and forgivenesse upon the account of it and will come to the termes of it which is to be accepted and pardoned alone by vertue of it to be washed and sanctified and actually deliver'd not onely from the guilt and condemnation of sin but the power and reign and pollution of it Oh Sinner be awakened and stirred up by the word of the Lord to get actuall deliverance from the guilt bondage reign service of thy sin go and cry to God offer him up the blood of his own eternall Son tell him thou seest he may let out justice upon thee to destroy thee and damn thee for ever of thy self thou hast no plea against it But aske the blessed God if it may not be more glory to him and his grace mercy glorified by it if he will accept of satisfaction by his own Son Jesus Christ plead to him that thou hearest he dyed in the room of guilty condemned sinners such as thou art ungodly Rom. 5.6 yea tell him with an humble adoration of his mercy and love in it that thou hearest in his blessed Gospel that 't is offered to any sinner that will come and accept it and that 't is proclaimed from heaven that there 's satisfaction made by the blood of a Iesus for the greatest sinner such as thou art Oh! cry unto him that therefore thou comest and beggst to be heard in thy plea and that it may be entred in Heaven that thou comest for all the ends of his death thou art weary of the service of thy lusts and the pollution of thy nature and therefore thou wouldst have thy nature cleansed thy conscience purged all which thou findest the bloud of Jesus Christ is able to do yea tell him and plead it with some humble boldnesse that thou art acquainted that Jesus Christ prayes in Heaven for such sinners that come and plead his bloud to thee and that he is heard in what he prayes and that therefore forgivenesse must be had yea say thou will hold on thy plea thou hast no other and art resolved against any other If thou shalt to Hell pleading the bloud of a Saviour be it so but I am resolved to plead it to the utmost yea tell him cry to him that it cannot repent him that he hath ordained the sacrifice of the bloud of his own Son and therefore why shouldst thou be rejected Yea Come to this issue through the Spirit of faith upon thee that if it can be that a sinner crying out for pardon upon the account of the death and bloud of Jesus Christ and for sanctification may go to Hell then thou wilt willingly lay thy hand upon thy mouth and open it no more but sinke under divine vengeance to eternity Oh! That every poor sinner might go home with this plea in his heart written there by the holy Ghost and pierce Heaven with his or her cryes and groanes and put the bloud of Jesus Christ before him and plead for mercy and holinesse to be pardoned and sanctified till God say Go in peace thou art pardoned redeemed and blessed for ever Yet a little to excite a poor drowsie sinner to this eternall Concernment 1. Consider thou art under the guilt of thousands of sins one whereof is enough to sink thee to Hell Guilt if continued is Hell begun and wants nothing but the execution of vengeance upon thee Oh what should a guilty sinner do but close with a Saviour and get an interest in Redemption from it 2. Specially considering that all the Duties and Obedience thou hast performed towards God or ever shall have not made nor ever will the least payment to God for thy sins thou art as much in debt to God as ever thou wast as much behind with him All the Items for the sin of thy Nature thy Thoughts Words and Actual Wickedness and thy sinful Neglects stand uncancelled all ready to be charged upon thee And nought will be accepted for payment but the death of Jesus Christ the onely Price that God will hearken to Nothing will cancel the Book where all thy sins are recorded Nothing will blot out the Hand-writing that is against thee but the blood of Iesus Christ Col. 2.13 14. 3. God is resolved never to forgive you the Debt till you have put in this Plea and it be recorded in Heaven and you have it in a Gospel-way No forgiveness of sins but by Redemption pleaded claimed possessed and sealed by the Holy Spirit Ephes 1.7 14. 4. Thou art yet under the Bondage and Reign of thy sin and therefore under condemnation the Law is gone out against thee thy Sentence pronounced Cursed is every one that transgresseth c. saith the Law And thou art in bondage yet and hast not procured actual deliverance from it If a Prisoner be condemned and lye in Fetters in a Dungeon and hears of a Ransome paid for him What 's this to him till he have his liberty So for a sinner to be in the Fetters of his Lusts held fast by them a Bond-man to the Devil hear of a Christ laying down a Ransom What is this to him unless he sue it out and get actual deliverance and liberty the liberry of the Sons and Daughters of God and have a Spirit of Adoption to cry Abba Father Gal. 4.4 5. That being made free from sinne the Reign and Power of it by the power of the Lord Iesus revealed in him you may become servants to God and have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting life 5. Consider as thou standest in thy filth and uncleanness of thy sins thou art unfit for God either to please him in any thing thou doest or to be with him in Heaven hereafter thy person and services are loathsome to the Soul of God therefore get washed and purified in the bloud of Iesus Christ Go on to cry and wait and beg a heart to do it and that in Faith till thou shalt feel peace coming in by thy constant Plea of the bloud of Christ till thou shalt feel cleansing vertue of it upon thy Soul till thou shalt experience the power of his death destroying sin in thee and so shalt finde thou hast fellowship with him and so a
changed in thy self pray and be holy and obey God in all things yet canst thou not be hereby justified but still thy justifying righteousness is in Christ and not in thy self as the onely procuring-meritorious cause of pardon and peace with God Ierem. 33.16 Isa 54. last 3. The great question therefore that should come upon thy heart is Whether thou art in a state of condemnation or justification If not justified thou art still as I have shewed under the condemnation of the whole Law nothing thou hast yet done or shalt ever be able to do will stand between Wrath and Hell and thy poor soul till thou comest to be justified in the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ Oh sinners ponder of this great thing that is now laid before you Can you say from a Testimony within you Oh! I was thus and thus once under the reign power guilt condemnation of sin but now now blessed be rich and free grace I am washed justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ See that Word 1 Cor. 6.10 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Or at least that I may speak to poor weak willing trembling soules Is this it that your soules are restless after Oh that I were that I were in such a blessed state Oh that I could but believingly say the righteousness of Iesus Christ were mine and that now I am I am justified Oh what peace and sweetness and joy would fill my heart Why Soul If this be indeed the breathing of thy Soul Iesus Christ is thine and thou art justified and pardoned and God will at last give in unto thee if thou continue to follow him the sense and comfort of it in thy poor Soul Onely by the way take a Discovery or two of the reality of thy Heart in this matter 1. If thy Soul from a Spiritual Conviction be under a real making out after justification by Iesus Christ then thou would'st also be as really sanctified be made holy 'T was as much in the purpose of God to call thee out of a state of sinne and to sanctifie thee as to pardon and justifie thee 1 Ep. John 5.6 2. If thou art brought into a justified state thy soul making out after it thou art made alive in the Spirit Rom. 8.1 Thou art in Iesus Christ and wouldst walk no more after the flesh and the lusts thereof but after the Spirit Gal. 5.18 If ye are led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law namely to condemn you but are freed from the curse of it and verse 23. Against such there is no Law that is such as would walk after the Spirit be led by the Spirit and shew forth the fruit of the Spirit And this is that which the Apostle intimateth 1 Ep. Joh. 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself namely of the Spirit So that every justified person hath the Spirit of Christ according to the measure of the grace of God dwelling in him is quickned in the Spirit being once dead prays in the Spirit mortifies sin through the Spirit is taught by the Spirit and so in all other saving and sanctifying vertues of it If it be not thus with thee thou as yet hast no part in this blessedness but art under condemnation unto death And therefore sinner come before God in the sense of thy condemned estate and give up thy self to Jesus Christ to be washed justified sanctified and then blessed for ever 3. Let called and sanctified Believers labour to live in the sense of a pardoned-justified state that God is not off and on with them in the matter of justification though it may be sometimes darkned and clouded as to the evidence of it Oh! do you labour to preserve the sense and sweet and blessed peace of it in your souls give glory to the riches of grace for now there is No No condemnation to you you are passed from Death to Life and the Blessed God imputes no sin unto you Let this be the highest and strongest Argument to Holiness and love to the glory that possibly may be and if indeed you walk in the comfort of it it will be so unto you Onely let me give caution here to young Converts whose hearts at the first discovery of the free and glorious grace of the Gospel and of Iesus Christ are wonderfully taken and affected with it but after a time are apt to want on with it unless the first humiliation be the deeper and to wax sleight in Duties and so their Lusts recover strength again and return upon them and either they fall or are near unto it to the fresh wounding of their Soules This hath been the condition of many therefore be well caution'd in it and walk with fear in the midst of your joyous apprehensions of the sweetness of grace and the endearing love of the Lord Iesus to you Having briefly shewed what the nature of justification is what it is to be in a justifyed state before God I now come to open more particularly how a Soul comes to be partaker of this justification through the redemption of Iesus Christ namely Through Faith in his bloud ver 25. of this 3d of Rom. Observ As God through Free-grace hath set forth Iesus Christ to work forth Redemption for sinners so there must be a special believing on and applying the bloud of Iesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins by every one that is saved Therefore justification is attributed to Faith Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ So Gal. 2.16 3.11 In all which places Faith is put in opposition to the Works of the Law And so the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of Faith Rom. 9.30 10.6 in opposition to righteousnesse by Works Not as if Faith were the matter of our justification that it did as an Act or Work in the Soul justifie before God but that God doth thus make over the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ to a Soul by inabling the Soul to come unto to take hold of to apply to it self to appropriate the merit of the bloud of Iesus Christ for its own Redemption and Salvation which may afford us a plain Description of justifying Faith precisely considered namely Faith is a work of the Holy Ghost in the Soul inabling it to appropriate or apply to it self the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ for the remission of sin and its justification unto eternal life So it is called the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and 't is expressed by receiving of Iesus Christ Joh. 1. and believing on his Name coming unto him resting upon him So that plainly Faith is a going out to believing in trusting on another namely the Lord Iesus Christ for what it
from that which is called in appearance a Legal-New-Creature c. Now let a soul fail in either of these and lost for ever fail of a saving-cloze with Jesus Christ for righteousness or being a New Creature in Christ and you perish in your sins and the wrath of God will overtake you I shall not now take up time in opening the coherence of the words nor will it much be desired as to our Design I shall therefore draw this plain conclusion from them namely Observ There 's an absolute necessity in order to the Salvation of every soul to become a New Creature in Christ Having proved it we shall open the way of being a New-Creature and how in Christ Then how distinguisht from an appearing New-Creature but not so indeed and so give forth the Evidences of it Those Scriptures that speak of the necessity of being born again of the Spirit Ioh. 3.3 5. and of being converted Mal. 18.3 do evince the same truth Gal. 6.15 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision avail any thing but a New Creature For we are his Work-manship created unto Christ Jesus c. Eph. 2.10 He that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 The necessity of this New-Creature doth arise 1. From the tenour of the New-Covenant in which way God hath obliged himself to give out mercy and in no other Now thus runs the New-Covenant this is the great Article of it Make you a new heart and a new Spirit Ezek. 18.31 Which God promiseth to give to all he takes into a Covenant of mercy and peace with himself I will put a new Spirit within you and a new Heart will I give unto you Ezek. 11.19 And to the same purpose Ezek. 36.26 Wherein as we shall shew lyes the special part of the New Creature 2. Because the Old-man all that is of the First Adam the whole frame thereof is corrupted and polluted therefore it must be repaired renewed be made new if ever it enter into glory Ephes 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind And that ye put on the New-man that after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness 3. Whosoever shall be saved shall be a new Creature from the great Design of God in giving out his Son Jesus Christ which was that all the Elect should be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren Jesus Christ is called the express Image of the Father Hebr. 1. And to that Image all Believers shall be conformed Jesus Christ the first-born and all his Brethren to be made conformable unto him God was infinitely pleased with such a Pattern and resolved all that he gave to him and designed for glory should be conformed to his likeness 4. All the services that a sinner offers to God are not accepted till a New-Creature till a Soul shall act from a new-living holy-principle towards God Pray and hear and give Alms God regards it not till a New-Creature So the Word of the Lord often casts back the services of unregenerate men upon their faces as loathsome to the Lord because they proceed from the old corrupt Adam from unchanged Natures Isa 1.15 When you cry I will not hear you Why You are in your uncleanness therefore Wash you make you clean Vse Oh let this make for your instruction and conviction that if ever you come to God in glory you must first be New-Creatures If you will have mercy you must have it in the way of the New-Covenant and if so you must be made new While you have nothing but the Old-Adam you are corrupt and polluted and abominable If you shall become the Brethren of the first-born Jesus Christ you must bear his Image and have it renewed upon you Oh you that are yet in your old sins and walk after your Old-Lusts you are not New-Creatures You will not think so therefore sit down with this Conviction That as yet you have no part in this blessedness Oh! All of you who are the same that ever you were whether living in gross sins or sober and civil from your Youth up you are yet of the Old Adam nothing but corrupt Nature upon you your hope is vain and you are blinded in your sins and the grace of God is not in you 2. Oh! Let me before I go further put this to tryall and suffer the word of the Lord which shall one day judge you Can you say in good earnest Old things are past away and all things are become new in me Now I am a vessell in the hand of God wrought by his Spirit and there is through infinite grace a new work manship upon my soul I shall lay down rules for the particular discovery of this only at present yeild up your conscience to the power of the world do not slink from under it If it find you out in your sin in nature the same that ever you were give glory to God and say The word of the Lord is quick and powerfull and go off with this conviction in power upon thy soul I never expect to go to heaven and glory if I become not through grace a new Creature But before I go further I would open that every soul that is a new Creature must be in Christ and why So saith the Apostle to these Corinths in this Epistle 13. Chap. 5. Examine your selves prove your own selves know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates ye are created into Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 If a man abide not in me he is cast out as a branch and is withered Joh. 15.6 Now herein lyes the great Mystery of Godlinesse into which all our evidences for Heaven are resolved and therefore this is a weighty enquiry I am to speak of it specially as it relates to the making and forming by the new Creature This being in Christ is expressed by being rooted into Christ Col. 2.7 Planted into him Rom. 6. Built up in him Col. 2. All which bespeak a reall union with him that this is not a mere imaginary thing but as true and reall as the union between the root and the branches Ioh. 15. and the foundation and the building Eph. 2. which is wrought by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus drawing and uniting true believers unto him The same Spirit dwelling in them Rom. 8.9 10 11. By his Sprit that dwelleth in you Now to consider Why all that are new Creatures according to the Gospell must be so in Christ 1. Such as are Gospell New-Creatures must be in Christ because if they be New-Creatures they must be Living Creatures Now God hath laid up all life that shall be
to be better this will not do if it be no more or such as have heald your selves and have not bin healed by coming to the Lord Iesus Christ by a more exact way of some outward duties know it and be convinc'd that the core will break out again and you are yet to seek for a well grounded peace and are none of the Gospel New-Creatures Now another degree of mistakes of the New-Creature doth arise from the taking of Common grace which a Hypocrite may reach to for truth of renewing sanctifying grace And know that every Hypocrite doth not know himself to be such but a Hypocrite is one that appeares to himself and others to be what he is not He takes himself to be a good Christian a believer a new Creature and is not so The ground of some of these great mistakes I shall mention As first A poor Creature thinks himself safe because what he doth he thinks he doth it all with a good heart No one so confident of the goodnesse of his heart as a Hypocrite because he knowes not his own heart in that great Reformation in Iosiahs time Ieremiah speakes of Chap. 3.10 that Iudah turned to the Lord but feignedly not with the whole heart yet the people thought otherwise of themselves as t is likely when they entred into a Covenant with God with good Iosiah This is it that most poor sinfull Creatures do bolster up themselves with in their ignorance and security that they do all to God and men with good hearts whereas a renewed soul doubts of the goodnesse of his heart and hath matter of humbling for it in every duty 2. Another mistake of poor souls is as to the Gospel New-Creature from a misprision of sins of infirmities for such as are indeed reigning damning sins As to instance to lye for advantage to swear petty Oaths sometimes by faith and troth by the masse to mention Gods name frequently as a by-word crying Oh Lord Oh God slightly vainly or sometimes to drink to excesse or the like evils 'T is common to hear wretched souls when convinc'd of them to excuse the matter Why 't is their infirmity whereas it proceeds from a heart wholly unregenerate and under the power and reign of sin Infirmities of the Children of God are not allowed by them but humbled for mourned for every day watch'd against the root of them they endeavour to mortifie through the Spirit which the common professour that calls all his sins his infirmities doth not Oh! Souls there 's a vast difference between the infirmities of such as are indeed New-Creatures and between the reigning sins of naturall men sin reigns in its peace power habit in the heart no subduing crucifying purging which a New-Creature doth and hath 3. This mistake of the New-Creature doth arise from a misconceiving of the reluctancy of a naturall conscience before or in the committing of sin taking it for the conflict that is in a truely regenerate Soul between the Regenerate and the carnall part which mistake usually is bottomed upon a misunderstanding of that place of Paul Rom. 7.15 For that which I do I allow not c. Hence say many unregenerate gracelesse persons Why though they do break out into such and such hings and omit such and such duties yet they do not allow themselves in it that is their conscience is not wholly seared and so make some resistance and this they take to be saving grace A grosse and most dangerous mistake Now take such a person and he hath not a delight in the Law of God in the inward man as Paul had vers 22. doth not cry out as inwardly burthen'd wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death No such daily complaints and groanings under the weight of it No tying God through Jesus Christ for deliverance from it No serving the Law of God with a renewed inward man No walking after the Spirit as Paul professeth to do so that unlesse it be so with you that no-allowance in the conscience and yet do it it comes to nothing and an Hypocrite may and doth as much till given up to a seared conscience past feeling 4. From a mistake of faith taking that for sound and saving which is common to a Reprobate such as James describes in his Epistle speaking of men who say they have faith and have not really A faith that believes that God is the Scriptures the dying and rising of Jesus Christ and all other Gospell truths as it pretends yea that he believes on Jesus Christ and hopes to be saved by him as well as the holiest and upon this they have a kind of peace I have spoken before of Justifying faith only a word as to the New-Creature know therefore That faith which hath convinc'd the soul of its own weaknesse and so brought it to Jesus Christ for life that doth not teach a soul to deny it self that doth not purifie the heart that doth not live upon Jesus Christ and so created into him is not the faith of the New-Creature but a common dead putrifying faith that suffers the soul to putrifie in sin and works not to the cleansing of it 5. To instance in some other graces as namely repentance which souls do take to be onely a wishing the sin had not bin committed with a little fear and sorrow after it and this they think to be true repentance which when true is accompanyed with loathing of the sin and our selves and our corrupt natures brokennesse of heart for it and from it and turning to God by Jesus Christ and eyes the honour patience holinesse love of God in its sorrowing more then his wrath and hath for its effects carefulnesse indignation against it self vehement desire after more holinesse by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7.11 6. A false and carnall hope of Heaven mistaken for a gracious saving hope deceives the soul in this matter many poor souls yea it may be feared the most think they shall go to Heaven because they hope so and think they ought to hope Now a saving hope of pardon and Heaven is rightly bottom'd namely upon the riches of Gods grace Titus 3.7 Upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Gal. 5.5 Upon some speciall promise of God Upon experience of God Rom. 5. And purifies the soul 1 John 3.3 as I may have occasion more at large to speak Oh! this false and carnall cursed hope that is not thus bottom'd serves onely to shut up the heart against the power of the word and a saving closing with Jesus Christ till a soul is dasht in this hope it will never get a better 7. A form of knowledge specially if encreas'd under the Ministery of the word may much deceive a soul in this great and weighty concernment so Paul speaks of the Jews Rom. 2.20 having a form of knowledge and of the truth of the Law Many have a Catechisticall form of knowledge they can describe what faith and
repentance and regeneration is and then think they have it themselvs because they can tell what it is and do believe it to be such There may be much knowledge in the head and yet no renewing grace in the heart That knowledge that is saving brings with it a power upon the soul to love delight in to experience the goodnesse vertue sweetnesse of what it knows It transforms the soul into the image of what is known 2 Cor. 3. last It is spirituall and it makes the heart the affections spirituall 8. A misconceit of the grace of love is also a false ground in this matter As that a poor soul will think that he loves God when he hath no knowledge of him nor delight in him nor Communion with him nor doth love his Image which is holinesse And that he loves All every one whereas much envy and malice reigns in the hearts if but a little provoked And for the people of God truly so called they hate them for Hypocrites Schismaticks and what not or if a little better thoughts of them t is not love to Christ and his Image in them that acts them which is the nature of the grace of love 9. So is patience humility meeknesse mistaken some natural dispositions are more patient and meek and these poor Creatures are apt to mistake for grace when 't is nothing but mere nature and more candid disposition And such Souls from naturall temper can bear much and it hath an appearance of grace But yet here may be no work of the Spirit all this while humbling meekning the soul in its own vilenesse no mortification of contrary lusts No humbling for pride of heart without which no true gracious humility No meekning by the Gospell and the power of Christs love upon their Spirits And yet upon this account you shall have poor carnall souls pretend much as I have often heard it urged by them to the fruits of Spirit mention'd Gal. 5.22 of love joy peace goodnesse patience temperance when t is nothing but disposition ingenuity or from civil education 10. As great a deceit there is about the fear of God many poor souls do fear the punishment and wrath of God which is all they do and then they think this is the fear of his servants The fear of the Lord which God promiseth to put in the hearts of his own people Jer. 32.40 is a fear of God because he is holy because he is gracious because he hath pardoned iniquity They shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse Hos 3. last which fear is mixt with a sweet and blessed love to God and consolation of the Spirit 11. A misapprehension of good workes causeth a mistake of the New-Creature many are convinc'd that workes of mercy and charity and Justice are to be done and so from a pittifull nature or from vain-glory or from a secrer thought to appease God or from Legall conviction at least they will be ready to do Charitable works things good in themselves and this they think discovers their Faith And herein lyes a common deceit in the vulgar professours of the people of England Now all the good works falsly so call'd done out of Christ are fleshly and not accepted with God A papist and many a carnall protestant even also for the sin of his soul doth much this way But good works properly so called do flow from a living faith from love to Jesus Christ and designe not a self-justification but the glory of God And gracious souls do find it very hard to performe them with holy ends 12. Mistake of a good conversation which may onely be a morall conversation civill sober righteous as to men but mindes not holinesse to God which is the speciall part of a Gospel-Conversation And yet the most of people go away with this that they are believers and in a good estate for heaven because they have a good conversation which they greatly mistake That which the word of God calls a good conversation as an evidence of faith is not onely a mere outward blamelesnesse which the Pharisees had but to walk with God from a Gospel-principle from Gospel-Grace and the love of God in the heart chiefly respecting holinesse to the Lord and the fear of the Lord upon the heart now a soul that hath nothing of this may be outwardly blamelesse a Jew and heathen may be so and nothing of the grace of God upon them Vse Now the Lord make this to be a convincing searching word to you you that have left some grosse sins from the word upon your consciences from afflictions from worldly advantages from age be it known unto you this you may do and more and be still the Children of wrath in an unpardoned condition and not the New-Creatures we are speaking of yea though thou hast taken up to new duties and makest conscience of many sins and many duties thou mayst still be out of Jesus Christ And you that call your daily sins which have dominion over you your infirmities when not humbled nor mourn for them nor cry for strength against them this your way is your folly and the Devil and your own hearts greatly deceive you yea you call such sins your infirmities meaning as if they were the infirmities of the Children of God that cannot consist with truth of grace such as common lying and common profaning the Lords name in your mouths and neglecting to sanctifie his Sabbaths and living in the neglect of secret spirituall prayer And such of you that have some striving in your consciences before and after the sin know it it may be so and yet not a drop of saving grace in you no regenerate part wrought forth in you And yet how many bear up themselves upon this score and think thence they allow not themselves in the sins they commit in Paul's sense look to this or you may for ever perish in this snare I have given some markes how you may know it Take you heed also that you take not that which is called Common-Grace which is Common to Reprobates for true grace There 's is a false faith a false Repentance a false Hope and so of the rest in which you may assuredly go to Hell you may have a harmelesse conversation and do some good works of Charity and yet perish for ever you may have nothing of the New-Creature in you and yet give all your goods to the poor In a word you may leave outward grosse sins have convictions of wrath to come have purposes such as they are to be better take up to New-Duties have common grace think you have faith repentance hope that you are humble patient have a good conversation and do good works and yet not be New-Creatures in Jesus Christ as we shall further evince I have yet one more deceit to discover and that is the mistake of a Scripture good conscience It is true that the Apostle in 1 Tim. 1.5 19. puts faith and a good conscience as
of Carnal Worldlings are said to pant after the dust of the Earth Amos 2.7 that is it the carnal mans heart thirsts after but a Soul in Christ breathes upward the Treasures of Heaven it pants after and will never be at rest till satisfied with them 2. This may serve to distinguish formal praying from that which is of the Spirit in the Children of God There 's no such thing as the breathing panting crying longing of the Soul after God and Holiness and Communion with him in formal saying of prayers the thing done quiets the Conscience but for God himself the Soul thirsts not for Therefore you that pray in forms in secret and content your selves in saying and repeating such a form of words sure you have little or no breathing for Jesus Christ in such Duties the Heart is not exercised in longings and pantings for God ye Souls that pray out of forms upon terrors and no more upon the Conscience but you thirst not breathe nor after God himself you may be short of the life of God in you 3. This may also encourage weak Souls that have but broken words to express themselves to God yet your very Souls do breathe and pant after the Lord verily the life of Christ is in you if it be indeed so with you and God will hear those breathings in you Lam. 3.56 Hide not thine Ear at my breathings The blessed God will not hide his Ear from the breathings of his poor Children Onely let crying-panting Souls take heed that this breath be not stopt nor intermitted 't is a most dangerous thing to intermit the breath of Prayer that it grows weaker and fainter it will be a sign unto you and a sad one too that the New-Creature is rather decaying then increasing in you Be not contented with no more praying then will just as we say hold Life and Soul together that 's to live at a very low rate but just to live if that As breathing takes in the Air revives enlargeth the Natural Spirits renders the whole man lively and lightsome and vigorous so doth this constant Spiritual breathing with God and after God it enlargeth the Heart revives the Soul keeps freshness and vigour of Spirit in the way of God when God comes in with a full gale upon the soul how sweetly is it refreshed how doth faintness weariness indisposition go off and the Spirit of a poor Creature is chearful with God and blessedly delights it self in him Oh delight to be every where in every way where God breathes upon the hearts of his people and where they breathe after him And let new living Souls take heed by the way how their Hearts do pant after the Earth and World and the Contentments of it this will as much damp Spiritual Life and breath in the Soul as any evil whatsoever Lay your hearts to the fulness and sweetnesses of the Lord Iesus Christ and breathe strongly for them and those things will be but wind and vanity 4. But I must proceed I come now to speak of the next Discovery of the New-Creature and that is it hath new senses That you may see how fully it answers the frame of man as a Living-Creature and what a New Creation this is As the New-Creature hath a new Nature a new inward life and hath a new breathing so it hath new Spiritual Senses So the Apostle Heb. 5.14 speaks of the Exercise of Spiritual Senses And as the Natural Life is exercised and preserved by Senses so is also this new Spirituall Life of the New Creature which I shall mention particularly First There is a New Ear given to this New Creature This Jesus Christ hath frequently promised that he would open the Deaf Ear So Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity The hearing Ear and the seeing Eye the Lord hath made even both of them Prov. 20.12 By this opening the Ear is meant the opening of the Heart as 't is said of Lydia Act. 16. Whose heart the Lord opened The heart is shut up naturally and naturally cannot hear the voice of the Spirit till the Lord himself open it A natural man hears no more then the voice of a man and the Letter of the Word but when this New Creature is formed he is enabled to hear the voice of Jesus Christ himself the voice of the Spirit Joh. 10.27 My sheep hear my voice A Soul can then say This the Lord speaks to me in special This is the voice of Christ that calls me to come to him and that Soul comes Jesus Christ speaks with a convincing particular powerful Word and the Heart being opened to receive it obeys it as his voice And so in every Ordinance 't is the Voice of the Spirit of Christ the New-Creature waits for He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. last Secondly The New Creature hath a new seeing eye The eyes of the Understanding opened to see into the blessed and hidden mysteries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ saith the Apostle of the Natural man Eye hath not seen 1 Cor. 2.9 And seeing they see not Math. 13.13 But Christ speaking of called Disciples saith Blessed are your eyes for they see c. They have a new sight of God in Jesus Christ which sight doth abase them and also draw them to Jesus Christ The Vail being in part taken away they can look into the things of God which they saw not before the Scriptures begin to be unveiled and they see beyond the Letter of them into the Life and Spirituality of them And thus the Lord Jesus promised of old specially as to new Testament-days I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darknesse light before them and crooked things straight c. Isa 42.16 Thirdly There is a new power of Tasting given to the Soul as another Spiritual Sense which before the Soul had not to purpose A new and blessed tasting of the good Word of Life Thy Word is sweeter then the Honey-Combe Psal 19. How sweet are thy words unto my mouth Psal 119.103 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.2 there 's a new taste of the bitterness of sin The heart knows its own bitterness saith the Wise-man A tasting of the special free and precious love of Christ A tasting of the goodness of God in mercies And thus there is a savoury spirit given to the New Creature whereby he doth delightfully savour the things of Jesus Christ and can speak savourily of them to others Fourthly Adde to this a new Smelling to which the Spouse of Christ often alludes in Solomon's Song Because of the savour of thy good Cintments Chap. 1.3 speaking of Jesus Christ who is as a new and precious Perfume to the Soul Who is this that cometh out of the
sorrowing over a crucified Christ and a sorrowing after him And well is a poor Soul when it can go in secret and have this affection most exercised with sighs and groans and tears and sad complaints against it self 3. There is a new joy by degrees instilled in the Soul of which though there are various measures to the Children of God yet every New-Creature can go thus far though not in that vigour of Spirit he would do that when the Spirit is free from great distemper it can say he hath some joy that he is deliver'd from the dominion and thraldome of lusts that 't is its joy to go before God I will go unto God my exceeding joy Psal 43.4 Even when under some disquietness of spirit as verse 2. why doest thou cast me off Yea will a poor soul say God and Communion with him could I see his face would be my greatest joy And the carnall joy of the heart when it breaks forth leaves the soul but more in heavinesse and the New-Creature would have his joy run spirituall 4. Upon this the New-Creature hath New delights The word of God becomes his delight seeking the face of God and the people of God Delight thy self in God Psal 37. And his chief delight is in the Saints Psal 16.3 The heart cannot as it could formerly delight it self in folly and in vanity and in vain carnall wayes and people but is rather burthened with them 5. The Soul is raised and engaged in a new Love The heart is taken with Jesus Christ above all things and Loves Him most and Loves God because he is Holy Loves his word and Loves those that Love him most Every New-Creature can say as David I Love the Lord Psal 18.1 116.1 Yea the soul is brought to Love Jesus Christ for himself He is the Beloved of the Soul and not onely the grace and peace and blessing and heaven that he gives And to Love Jesus Christ and to expresse it to the utmost is the frame of soul that a convert presseth most after and he would get the heart more purged mortified spiritualized that it might go forth in Love to Christ more strongly and sweetly and enjoy the precious perfumes of his Love more constantly 6. The Soul is raised to a new hope A new hope of Heaven and Glory which before was feigned and deceitful Now the soul is after a well bottom'd reall lively hope of Heaven Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope c. Oh! the new and blessed hopes that a soul doth more and more reach to when distemper and darknesse is not upon it of seeing Jesus Christ as he is Living with Him for ever of being perfectly sinlesse and holy of joyes that shall be endlesse of being swallowed up with divine glory when the spirit of the Father doth breathe most sweetly and mostly raises the heart to glimpses of Heaven Use As we go along we would put things to tryall therefore say in good earnest Soul Hast thou had new fears upon thy Soul as to an eternall condition and is the fear of sin and of the living God upon thy heart and doth this fear keep thy heart owfull and watchfull say Hast thou had new sorrows for sin and 't is thy trouble they are no more abundant Canst thou joy in going to God and in the word of his grace and are spirituall things thy delight Doest thou find a heart-closing Love to Jesus Christ above all and canst thou Love God because he is holly and thou wouldst be like unto him and hast thou new experienc'd of hopes Heaven Say soul Do all thy affections run in a new channell and the stream of them in the main turned from world and vanity to the Ocean of God in Christ his fulnesse goodnesse love grace and glory and that when thy affections or any one of them are diverted and turned aside thou canst and doest go to God to have them fetcht in again and thou wouldst have all the affections of thy Soul run freely clearly spiritually fully strongly upon Jesus Christ and thou art humbled that they are carnall and worldly in any measure If this be not thy case but the affections of thy heart are wholly fleshly worldly thy fears thy sorrows are about worldly things thy joyes thy delights about carnall pleasures and worldly encrease thy Love goeth after the world in an interrupted unmortified course thy hopes going forth about great things for thy self and thy hopes for Heaven lye at all uncertainly and thou doest suffer it to be so verily thou art unchanged and hast no part as yet in New-Creature blessednesse Onely let me add this Caution that in this matter of the New-Creature you take the whole frame together And therefore do not rest onely in this that you have had your affections something stirred in hearing the Gospel some fears and sometimes the heart a little melted and some joy for a time in the world which affections may sometime stirr in a soul whose heart is not subdued and changed and so it weares off again but carry your selves back to what I have said that you mainly look to the Rebellion Pollution Hypocrisie Unbelief of the heart that these be in good earnest still a subduing in you 3. And so also for reall Converts though you should labour to preserve your affections lively savoury yet look mostly to the sincerity and spirituality of them or else when they wax faint again as that may be you be at a great losse of your consolation neither do you alwayes measure your selves by the stirring and overflow of affections but rather by the abasement of your spirits hearts purity and sincerity and the holinesse of your affections and your acting faith in all your duties which will procure a more lasting way of peace and Comfort though when thus rectified the going out of strong and tender affections is exceeding sweet and precious and most desireable by all Saints 7. The next discovery of the New-Creature is this which I may consider with some distinction from the former The Gospel New-Creature hath new thoughts By the thoughts I understand the pondering musing part of the mind that I may speak plainly to all The imaginations fancies purposes meditatings musings of the mind of man which are very much alter'd where there is a new and divine work and power in the Soul To this the Prophet speakes as to saving conversion Esay 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord c. So that a Soul returning to the Lord forsakes his vile thoughts and doth not give way to them and feed them as before So Jer. 4.14 How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee And Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love To shew a little why the thoughts of
a word of Exhortation to you to look to your Thoughts saith the Wisdome of God Prov. 23.7 As he thinketh in his heart so is he A Soul is before the Lord according to the thoughts of his heart Oh take heed of giving way to and feeding vain unclean unholy Thoughts of any kind and let me press it upon you with these Motives 1. Consider that such thoughts are your sins lay that to heart God may justly damn a Soul for unholy Thoughts Know thou mayst commit Adultery or Murder in thy Heart though it break not forth actually If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thy self or if thou hast thought evil lay thine hand upon thy mouth Prov. 30.32 This will help to keep thy Heart in awe 2. That God's Eye is strictly and continually upon the Thoughts of thine Heart Psal 139.2 and therefore David cryes out to God to search his Heart for them Oh did a gracious Soul still consider this that the jealous Eye of God is upon every Thought and Motion of his Heart to sinne it would make him look closely to the Thoughts of his Heart 3. Consider that evil Thoughts and Musings of sin are the beginning of all open wickedness Jam. 1.15 Then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and such Thoughts are usually set on fire by the Devil 4. They do defile the soul Mat. 15.20 Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. These are the things which defile a man Which defilement unfits the soul for communion with God they make a filthy puddle in the soul and what a case is a poor Creature in to come to God in Duty in such a pickle 5. Evil Thoughts do pervert the Heart from God which should be fixed upon him they draw away the strength of the Heart from God they suck up the juice and marrow of the Heart which should be spent in Spiritual things in Jesus Christ 6. Such Thoughts do grieve the Spirit Nothing more the Spirit cannot delight to teach and comfort when the Heart is mostly acted by foolish and unholy Thoughts 7. When such Thoughts are acted in the Soul God may leave you to the power of them to break out to some grievous fall and so may shipwrack your peace and comforts for a great while and go with broken bones and it may cost you much bitterness before you are healed 8. If vain carnal Thoughts are not resisted at first but given way to they are hardly checkt and subdued and turned upon other Objects and therefore to watch the first Risings of them Now not one of these Considerations but may make a Child of God to tremble how he lets forth his heart into vain carnal idle defiling-thoughts and musings which do so much waste a gracious spirit and lay him open to such woful dangers as these are To help a Child of God in this Spiritual Work of looking to and a holy ordering the Thoughts of his Heart 1. Be deeply humbled to God with abhorring and loathing for Atheistical unclean proud vain foolish worldly thoughts that croud in upon you when you make them your burden you will be the sooner eased 2. Delight thy self much in the Word of God not onely in Publique Hearing but Daily Reading and not onely Reading but getting some good word upon thy heart that may season thy Thoughts and Affections saith David I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Psal 119.113 The love of the Word of God made him be so far from cherishing vain Thoughts that he did hate them It doth appear this was a special part of David's exercise of Spirit to get some blessed Word upon his heart and be thinking of it and so it did tu n into the sweet and wholesome nourishment of the New-Creature Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Blessed and holy practise worthy a gracious Saint indeed you have one word specially that David had much on his heart out of the Books of Moses for we know not whether any other Scriptures were then extant 't is that of Exod. 34.6 where the Lord saith he will proclaim his Name and Glory The Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering abundant in goodness and truth which you have in Psal 103.8 Psal 86.15 145.8 Happily one of those sweet words which he often magnifies how hath a single word dwelt upon the heart of a Child of God and hath kept the heart savoury for Christ 3. The next Remedy against such Thoughts is Much Prayer diligence fervency powring out the heart to God till the heart melts and runs forth sweetly spiritually and is engaged with God and hath a sight of him and a divine impression of God's Majesty left upon the Soul 4. Get more and more brokenness of heart for sin when the Heart hath been broken 't will not so easily get into Vanity again At least a Child of God should take care that it should not when the Heart is broken and mourning the Spirit doth wonderfully in that work refine the Heart All the sleightness vanity defilement distraction that comes upon the New-Creature is mostly for want of this 5. Mortification of that Corruption that is most apt to stirre doth much cure our thoughts Inordinate Affections are the Saints greatest Evils and do bespeak an unmortified heart as to what a Child of God should still be pressing after even to be dead and crucified with Christ Those that are Christs have crucified their Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.22 6. Contending for a Spiritual Heart So far as the Heart is spiritual it acts spiritually 'T is the carnality of Heart that works-up all those frothy distempers that defile us Paul's corruption was much let out upon him when he cryes out of the carnality of his Heart Rom. 7. which should be the daily complaint of God's poor children 7. A great help to the preserving the Thoughts of the Heart according to the New-Creature will be to consider How precious the thoughts of God are to his People Psal 139.17 How precious also are thy thoughts O God unto me How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand c. David in v. 2. was considering how God's Eye was upon his Thoughts and 't was a means to rectifie them and then David's thoughts run forth in the sweet and blessed apprehension of the preciousness of God's thoughts to him from all Eternity and in the ways of his Covenant towards him If God's thoughts to us be holy and precious and ever towards us the thoughts of his servants should be so also and as little common and unsavoury as may be More particularly let us yet consider what blessed and excellent and glorious things such as are New-Creatures in Christ have to exercise their thoughts about 1. Gracious Soules have the Attributes of God to exercise the thoughts of their Hearts in the Infiniteness of God his Greatness Holiness Glory
talked with us by the way 4. Good Souls do not onely profit themselves in receiving good but they profit others one of the best wayes that we do good in profiting weak Saints or sinners how hath a word spoken from a savory person humbly and wisely dropt in upon the soul of a sinner which hath bin its first awakning And so upon a poor weak tempted Child of God how seasonably hath God ordered a word for a poor soul from conference with another Vse If a New-Creature in Christ hath a new tongue as well as a new heart Then let it be for conviction of sinners whose tongues as well as hearts are exercised in vanity altogether in profane or vain or carnall or worldly discourses This shewes there is no good treasure in the heart The Apostle James followes this conviction very closely and makes it the Character of a carnall pretending Believer of false and dead faith Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain T is but a seeming to be religious a vain Religion where the tongue hath a carnall Liberty And he calleth the Tongue A world of iniquity set on fire of Hell James 3.6 an unruly evil full of deadly poyson verse 8. The evils of the tongue that be-speake a sinner unregenerate are these and they are frequent among this generation 1. Speaking evil of the spirit of God and wayes of God and people of God Oh! such say they have the Spirit that they be Holy and they are so strict that they will not do such and such things as others do This is a degree of Blasphemy and borders upon the brink of the unpardonable sin These are styled by the Apostle Revilers 1 Cor. 5.11 6 11. and they as such shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven The giving out of the Spirit upon plain meaning-people in the measure it now is is a new thing but not therefore to be despised and reviled Every Town ad Family almost doth abound with this wickednesse and dreadfull provocation and 't is the saddest signe upon the generality of people whatsoever onely 't is to be hoped they do it through Ignorance as Paul did 1 Tim. 1.13 and God as he hath done may humble and convert many of them to the praise of his grace onely let sinners that have bin frequently shew'd the desperate wickednesse of such speeches of scoffing at the spirit and holinesse and call it Hypocrisie tremble least God give them up when they sin against conviction and the clear light of the word in this matter Had I time to reason a little in the power of the Lord with such souls why Consider seriously and in good earnest Can you be so sottish and so wilfully blinded that have heard or read the Scriptures to imagine that you are God's and Christ's and have not the Spirit and are not made Holy nor crying to God that you may be Holy He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And without holinesse you shall not see the Lord How dare you then in the Atheism and devilish wickednesse of your hearts scoffe at the very Name of the Spirit and Holinesse The lowest place in Hell will be yours that have bin so often admonished of this unlesse God smite you to the Earth for it True Converts have the saddest humiliation for this sin as they have bin more or lesse guilty of it 2. Or you that are not so desperately carryed forth in this open ungodlinesse of speaking evil of what you know not But yet make little Conscience of lying for your profit or in excusing a matter so you may do it covertly and count it a veniall small sin or you that when provoked swear profanely and desperately tearing the Name of the great and dreadfull God wreaking your anger and wrath upon the Name of God and the blood of Christ your Tongues are set on fire on Hell and the Spirit of disobedience the devil worketh in you not a drop of the grace of God in you 3. Or you who have your petty Oathes by your Faith by your Lady and by Creatures Or make mention of the Name of God and Lord in your Ordinary discourse vainly and as a by-word crying Oh Lord upon every slight occasion and for Gods-sake and Christs sake do this and this in poor triviall matters verily there is noting of New-Creature upon you And yet these great profanesses you call your infirmities and 't is your infirmity to swear when angry and provoked and you say you forget your selves when you mention the Name of the Lord God sleightly or through ignorance plead for it that you may do so I tell you souls they are your reigning damning sins who are frequent in them And in carnal prayerless families as most are how oft in a day may these ungodly speeches be heard by men women and children If the fear of God were upon you or any work of grace you durst not do it nor indeed could do Therefore do but observe your selves a day and see how often you are here guilty and tremble before God and go and humble your selves at his feet that you may find mercy and have another heart and mouth given to you Pray and cry and waite for the good treasure of the word of grace in your hearts and 't will be otherwise with you 4. Yea you who are engaged in worldly discourses on the Sabbath day in your families at your doores in the Streets in idle and vain jesting you are not of God born again by his spirit you take no delight in the word of God the meditation of your heart is not in it you speak little of it because you savour it not Tremble you worldlings who shew it this way at that word 1 John 4.5 They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them If ye are of the world you are not as yet of Jesus Christ the power love of this present World ruleth in you and that may damn you for ever Know sinners you that make little conscience of vain profane words though you pretend to make some conscience of your word of promise to men for your credits sake and so think you have grace all which a Turk will do that by your words you shall be judged And of idle words you shall give an account at the day of judgment and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Math. 12.36 37. Such words as we have opened to be damning sins And therefore do not put off this guilt far from you in saying 't is your infirmity and so make light of it but know 't is guilt which will send you to Hell if the Lord humble you not and change you 'T is a certain Rule a profane heart and a profane mouth a carnal heart a carnal tongue a worldly heart a worldly yea Sabbath-days tongue
Therefore you are not New Creatures in the least and therefore begin with the heart that the heart may be smitten of God for this sin and changed and seasoned with the word and grace of Christ upon you and it will be better with you and you will have a tongue to speak well of the Spirit and the things of God and his People and to speak for God and reverently of his Name and delight your selves in it 2. Let this be a word to such as through grace are become New Creatures in Christ that you would shew it in this Discovery in a new tongue that you give not your selves that liberty of vain carnal much less profane Discourse as formerly as indeed you will not if you be New Creatures Men's Converse doth either lye among such as are wholly carnal and worldly or such as savour that which is good As to the former as in all our carriage so specially in our words there is great caution to be had 1. Not to mix our selves with them unnecessarily unless we find we have strength enough through a dependency on the Lord to avoid their snares and do it with a purpose of heart to do them good by reproving or counselling them Many a good soul hath been sadly worsted by mixing unnecessarily with vain profane or frothy company 2. If Providence cast thee amongst them sometimes it may be the wisdome of a Child of God to keep silence as David Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle when the Wicked is before me I say it may be sometimes best for a Child of God to do so there 's a secret conviction goes forth by the silence of a servant of God oftentimes and to leave them as soon as we can so it be not done scornfully but humbly and civilly I do not mean a total silence but a wariness When you are cast among carnal persons as to your Callings necessarily Take heed of giving your selves a full liberty multiplying of words unnecessarily but be reserved and watchful That by any thing you say or indeed any other carriage the person you converse with be more hardned in his carnal course or be offended more against the wayes of godliness which indeed a Child of God should most heedfully consider in all his ways Oh 't is a blessed and gracious design rather to better then worst all we converse with 3. If you have a heart as you are to look up to God for a heart to reprove what may be reprovable as often it may be your duty or to commend the ways of God unto them to render them acceptable and precious and comfortable or any good word of the Lord to mention to them or of an eternal condition let this be done 1. Seasonably 't is a great matter for a servant of God to speak fitly to wind off another from a carnal Discourse into good things to insinuate them discreetly here is much wisdome and 't is to be askt of God 2. With Meekness Not sharply nor rashly nor proudly nor censoriously but with a meek and gentle spirit shewing all meekness to all men 2 Titus 2. That they may perceive you do it not to censure them nor with vain ostentation but that it proceeds from an honest heart and unfeigned love to them This is to be done when we find mens spirits in the most serious capacity and we having endeavoured to sweeten them and to get some room and respect in their Affections 3. That it be done savourily and feelingly not sleightly that it may appear what we give out to them is upon our own hearts and what we do really feel and enjoy which carries much convincement with it 2. If Providence cast you among God's people as this indeed should be our choice 't is not well to part from each other without something of God his Word Grace Goodness Providence People their own Hearts Temptations Comforts according to what is upon their Hearts or what they conceive may be of best use to those we speak to considering their condition or temptations or fallings short or in what if stronger Christians we may our selves be helped and encouraged And not to give way to indisposition or temptation or fear we shall speak as Hypocrites which is sometimes a snare but to have a ready mind chearful delight to do it Not but the people of God may in due season speak of their Callings and of Affairs and Occurrences in the World yea and sometimes that which may beget chearfulness so we watch our hearts in it and take heed of an uncomely inordinateness in it But do you tremble at obscene words wrathful words to be suddainly provokt to speak passionately at taunting jeering words reproaching others or censorious of others vain-glorious words of which much might be spoken to every particular 3. As this may humble the people or God for the sins of the Tongue their vanity and unprofitableness so let it stir them up to look up for grace suitable in this so weighty a matter That our Lips may be as a Well of Life and may savour of what is holy and good in God's sight Some Directions yet as to this Duty 1. Get in much good Treasure in the Heart As our Saviour speaks Mat. 12. The more good Treasure of the Word of Grace of Experiences of sweetness of comfort the more ready we shall be to give forth and also receive in from others 2. Do not follow your fancy in speaking what it still dictates but your judgment Many good men too too much follow a working fancy though there may be a sober chearful Exercise of it in season but we are too apt to run forth to excess The Devill will kindle Squibs upon the Fancy which we must rather quench then feed and bring forth 3. Keep some good thing upon the Heart Some good word you daily take in as was directed as to your Thoughts some comfortable Experience of God the sense of what you received in an Ordinance that you may discourse of the Word last heard Psal 45.1 My heart is enditing of a good matter my Tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer Oh blessed when 't is so with gracious Soules I muse on the works of thy hands Psal 143.5 My meditation of God shall be sweet Psal 104. 4. Pray a good frame of heart and keep it so Pray till the heart be made tender savoury quickned enlarged with the sense of God's Majesty Holiness and Goodness upon your Spirits and then watch to keep them so a savoury Heart and a savoury Mouth 5. Be not provoked by the vain and frothy Language of others though they may be good men to comply with it We are too apt to take encouragement to that which may be evil because 't is the liberty another good man takes which is often a snare 6. Keep the fear of the Lord upon
do decay wither make a poor shift to hold out in their profession grow worldly or are overtaken with the errours of the times as for the most part they are the solitary professours who are drawn aside from Gospel-truth and not such as it hath bin unduly charg'd who are in the fellowship of the Gospel for that end and purpose to help strengthen pray for watch over each other 10. Such as are New-Creatures in Christ they have if I may so speak new feet namely to walk with God in a new conversation The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way Psal 37.23 I have saith David refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word This New walk of a Saint of a New-Creature is a large field that I may hint the most materiall things of it 1. A New-Creature doth more and more set himself to walk with God 1. As under the eye of God considering that the jealous eye of the Lord is still upon him Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my wayes Psal 133.3 2. To keep Communion with God to be conversing with God speaking with God and unto God and waiting to hear God speak unto him 3. To walk in Jesus Christ As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Col. 2.6 which is to walk in the Life of Christ in the Light of Christ in the Strength of Christ in the Love of Christ in the wisdome and patience of Christ and so in all This t is to have fellowship with Jesus Christ and to walk in him to do all in Christ and through Christ is the main work of the New-Creature as 't was hinted in discovering the necessity of the New-Creature's being in Christ 4. The Walk of the New-Creature is to walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit There 's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.11 To walk in the Spirit is 1. Not to fulfill the Lusts of the flesh Gal 5.16 Not to be under the power of them or to make provision for them not to feed them but to crucifie them They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 which is put as an evidence of walking after the Spirit 2. T is to be led by the Spirit Gal. 5.18 to give up our selves to the leadings and teachings of the Spirit Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the Land of uprightnesse is the cry of every true Convert in Christ who would not be led by his own spirit in any thing nor by other mens spirits but waites for the Leading of the spirit in every work and way wherein he would walk before God 5. The New-Creature walks after the revealed will of God And as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them Gal. 5.16 speaking of the New-Creature who walkes after a rule Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119.1 He sets himself to walk in all the precepts of God and esteemeth them all holy and righteous 6. The New-Creature walks in his integrity let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me Psal 25.21 As for me I will walk in mine integrity Psal 26.11 And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity and settest me before thy face for ever Psal 41.12 This is the gracious resolution of every Convert to walk in his inregrity through which God will preserve and uphold him in all his wayes and when the world reproacheth him God will set him before his face and that for ever 6. The New-Creature so far as he is a New-Creature walkes humbly This is that the Lord doth require of thee to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 To walk humbly before the Lord towards sinners and towards Saints The soul that walkes most with God walkes most humbly towards men 7. The New-Creature walks in love And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5.2 In love to all Saints as Saints a special part of the Gospel-walk Not in love to such or such a party of Saints which is but self-love but in love to all that walk with God 8. More Particulars might I mention as walking honestly towards all men not oppressing defrauding but righteously charitably compassionately so far I say as he is a New-Creature he walks thus Onely let me adde this That the New-Creature walks by Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 and not by sight He is ever learning a life of dependency lives upon the All-sufficiency of God the Righteousness of Christ the fulness of his Grace the Word of his Promise and so lives out of himself upon the fulness of God in Christ and his truth in his Promise even when he feels not his presence And herein briefly consists the Life of Faith to live out of our selves upon Another even the Fullness of an infinite God manifested in Jesus Christ In a word The New-Creature in Christ as he is called of God through infinite Free-grace so is he to walk in all things Worthy of his Vocation Ephes 4.1 To walk worthy of the Lord even to walk as Jesus Christ himself walked 1 Joh. 2.6 To walk in this present world how he might express the vertues of Christ the grace and love of Jesus Christ so freely revealed to him to walk self-denyingly holily patiently harmlesly profitably heavenly as one that is called from Darkness to Light from the power of Satan to God called out of the World to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 2.14 Use 1. If his be the Walk of the New-Creature then such who walk not as in the Eye of God but after the Atheisme of their Hearts consider not that God sees them in their most hidden ways that walk after their Lusts to fulfill them that walk not in the Spirit that mind not Holiness so they keep a kind of Conscience to men Verily the Spirit of God dwelleth not in you you have no Evidence for Heaven as yet you are of the World and you walk after the course of the World Ephes 2.2 You walk Hell-ward and are held by the Cords of your Lusts and your Paths lead unto destruction And therefore turn in to Jesus Christ whose Paths are Wisedome and Safety and lead in the Way of Life and Peace and Blessedness even all that choose them and delight in them 2. Let such as have the New-Creature formed in them approve themselves to God to Saints and to the World in this their New-Walk Oh see you are called to walk with God and therefore be as in his Eyes continually make Communion with him your chiefest joy Walk in Jesus Christ in his Life Light Power Love Wisdome